Fairfax, CA (Marin County) Passed Zero Waste Resolution on 3-7-07

[Gary Liss <gary@garyliss.com>]

Apologies for Cross-Postings

From: "Bruce Baum" <b-baum@comcast.net>
Subject: Fairfax Passes ZW resolution
Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2007 10:00:09 -0800
 
Some positive news from Fairfax??..Last night at the town council Fairfax became the first Marin town to adopt a Zero Waste by 2020 Resolution (attached): Mayor Larry Bragman introduced the resolution for approval. Vote was 4-1
 
For more information I can be reached at 707-459-5859
 
Bruce Baum
ZW Citizens Advisory Committee
 
Some quick points on ZW that were made last evening:
 
Zero Waste is a philosophy and a design principle for the 21st Century. It includes 'recycling' but goes beyond recycling by taking a 'whole system' approach to the vast flow of resources and waste through human society.

Zero Waste maximizes recycling, minimizes waste, reduces consumption and ensures that products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature or the marketplace.  http://www.grrn.org/zerowaste/
 
 
·         In 2002 CIWMB adopted a goal of Zero Waste as one of it?s guiding principles http://www.zerowaste.ca.gov/
 
·         Cities and counties around the state have adopted ZW resolutions including model programs in SF & Palo Alto Most municipalities in the Bay Area have also adopted ZW resolutions and strategies. (Oakland recently passed theirs).  None in Marin!

• November, 2006 Marin County?s Solid waste JPA passed a ZW resolution with a 2020 goal that Fairfax, a JPA member, agreed to.
• ?Zero Waste, The Complement to Sustainability for Fairfax?, was approved by the Planning Commission March 2006.
• Fairfax took leadership over 10 years ago --- when Fairfax adopted the first retail food polystyrene take out regulations in Marin.
• Recycling was last century?s solution to garbage while Marin?s numbers may be impressive, they are very misleading, Recycling is not the solution to our long term problems. 
• ZW is about looking at the other end of the pipe from recycling. Simply put source reduction, including producer responsibility, reuse, recycling, and composting. 
• Fairfax, took the leadership role in Marin County as first municipality in Marin to adopt a ZW resolution. --

Gary Liss       
916-652-7850    
Fax: 916-652-0485
www.garyliss.com