Shoreway Environmental Center Reaches 2-Million-Ton Diversion Mark

Pictured from right: RethinkWaste Executive Director Kevin McCarthy, California State Assemblyman Rich Gordon and RethinkWaste Board of Directors Chair John Doughty.

RethinkWaste, San Carlos, Calif., has announced that as of the end of February 2013, it has diverted 2 million tons of residential and commercial recyclables and organic materials at its Shoreway Environmental Center in San Carlos since 1994. This has resulted in the reduction of approximately 5 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions—the equivalent of removing more than 743,000 cars from the road over the same time.

A celebration was held Friday, March 1, at the Shoreway facility to mark the milestone. The event featured California State Assemblyman Rich Gordon, local elected officials, RethinkWaste’s board of directors and staff, Recology San Mateo County and South Bay Recycling (SBR).

Recology San Mateo County is the franchised collection services provider for residents and businesses in the RethinkWaste service area. SBR operates the Shoreway facility under contract with the agency.

“This milestone is truly a celebration of the successful partnership between community members and recycling agencies along the Peninsula,” says Gordon, who was named the 2012 Recycling Legislator of the Year by the nonprofit group Californians Against Waste. “These combined efforts have resulted in a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable community for all to enjoy.”

Kevin McCarthy, executive director of RethinkWaste, adds, “This significant environmental milestone reflects the great efforts of local residents and businesses to separate their recyclables and compostables for collection. This also would not have been possible without the great support of our local elected officials over the years in championing recycling and composting efforts.”

In addition to Friday’s celebration, a Customer Appreciation Week was held Feb. 25 through March 2 to thank Shoreway’s public customers. During this week, customers who brought in a minimum of two yards of clean green waste material to Shoreway’s Transfer Station can take up to two cubic yards of finished compost for free. A number of daily giveaways also were distributed to public customers. In addition, a drawing was held at the end of each day for contractors who left their business cards with Shoreway’s scale house attendants. Each of the winners will be able to bring up to a total of 10 yards of clean construction and demolition debris (C&D) or clean commercial or residential green waste and wood for free at Shoreway through Dec. 31, 2013.

Rethink Waste is a joint powers authority of 12 public agencies (Atherton, Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, the County of San Mateo and the West Bay Sanitary District) in San Mateo County, Calif. RethinkWaste owns and manages the Shoreway Environmental Center, which receives all the recyclables, organic materials and materials collected in its service area.