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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 9, 2019)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 | 11A Eco from A9 Since September, the two have been working to collect, haul and ship plastic recycling from Cottage Grove. The city has provided storage for their #2, #4 and #5 plas- tics as well as a truck for hauling to the county transfer station. Gardiepy and Neigh emphasize that incom- ing plastics must be cleaned of their product and label-free. Meeting these standards, a to- tal of 109.23 pounds of plastics were weighed in at the storage area last weekend. Gardiepy said he owes the entirety of this recy- cling to Neigh and the $495,000 10.34 acres | Silk Creek Frontage | Second House | Barn Pasture city, but has also worked to get access to other re- cycling streams. “EcoGeneration ex- panded our recycling way past the county’s,” Gardiepy said. Using various resourc- es, EcoGeneration has found ways to add to its list personal care pack- aging (shampoo, lotion, etc.), health and nutri- tional packaging, dis- posable razors and their packaging, Febreze air care sprayers, cigarette butts and cigarette plas- tic packaging, plastic bags, HP Inkjet cartridg- es, shipping materials (air packs, bubble wrap, etc.) and block Styro- foam. “Nobody else in Lane County will accept those items to recycle,” Gar- diepy said. Part of this is owed to his TerraCycle services, with which Gardiepy is able to offer services such as the personal care packaging stream. “I was on a waiting list for two and a half years to offer this program,” he said. “If you were to sign up today as an in- dividual, it would take approximately three and a half years on the wait list to be approved as a collector.” And EcoGeneration’s list may grow with the nonprofit currently on waiting lists for 127 of TerraCycle’s other recy- cling programs. “Our biggest hole in recycling right now is with #1 plastics as no one is currently accept- ing them,” said Gar- diepy. “In time I hope to be able to recycle them.” In all, the group re- ports to have collected almost 64 pounds of plastic packaging, more than 10 pounds of cig- arette butts and more than nine pounds of personal care packaging. It has also composted 68 pounds of food waste by working with Aurora Café and PeaceHealth Cottage Grove Commu- nity Medical Center. Though the South Valley Famers Market is facing its last month at its outdoor location at Seventh and Main streets, it will be moving into the Cottage Grove Armory to continue its weekly markets through Dec. 21. Gardiepy and Neigh plan on following for that duration. Entering the new year, however, there is some uncertain- ty. “Until next farmers market season, we don’t have a place to go,” Gar- diepy said. “We’re trying to fundraise so we can get a location. If we’re able to get a location, we’d be open five days a week.” A permanent loca- tion in town would also enable the nonprofit to serve outlying areas where community col- lectors are in short sup- ply. As part of its fundrais- ing, EcoGeneration sells organic cotton canvas shopping bags as well as bulk food bags and stickers. “If I were able to sell 10 of them a week, I would be able to be fully sustainable,” said Gar- diepy of the $20 bulk food bags. EcoGeneration is also holding a raffle for Oc- tober, selling tickets for $2 each or three tick- ets for $5. Next month will see a “Reduce your Waste” fundraiser in which raffle tickets will be $10 each. “Our biggest message for everyone is simple: look for ways to reduce your waste,” said Gar- diepy. “Whether it be less packaging, less food waste, or ditching the use of disposables. Each little bit helps.” Gardiepy also encour- ages people to join his Facebook group “Re- cycling in the Grove” where he posts new re- cycling streams and in- teracts with people who have recyling questions. Meanwhile, a free master recycler course is coming to the Cottage Grove area, potentially this January. More in- formation can be found by contacting Master Recycler Coordinator Kelly Bell at kelly.bell@ co.lane.or.us. For more informa- tion about EcoGenera- tion and recycling re- quirements, visit www. ecog3neration.com. bring your dreams! discover ideas, inspiration & experts fea Fri. 5-9pm Sat. 10am-8pm g n i tur Sun. 10am-5pm Lawrence Recliner from La-Z-Boy Furniture of Eugene Everdure Furnace BBQ Grill from Emerald Pool & Patio Corsicana Queen Mattress Set from The Mattress Company Striker Country Wood Stove from Emerald Hearth, Spa & Patio Seminar Schedules & Exhibitors Online: Water Safety Tips for Children PRODUCTIONS Meet Lisa. PeaceHealth nurse leader. Breast cancer survivor. Mountain climber. Through early detection and the right team, today she’s climbing mountains and living life to the fullest. At PeaceHealth, we challenge you to put yourself fi rst and make time for a mammogram... you’re worth it! Watch Lisa’s story and schedule your mammogram today. peacehealth.org/yes-mammo And why not consider scheduling your bone density scan for the same time as your mammogram? Ask your scheduler today how you can book these two very important screenings.
