While at the 2008 Burien Strawberry Festival we had pamphlets to hand out from Waste Management NW, SolarWashington.org and Puget Sound Community Change, as well as some provided by Water District 20. We've included links to those pamphlets [and additional information] here for those who want to be able to refer to the information later.

Waste Management Northwest has a lot of information about recycling. Their site contains information about their different services, what goes in what bin, what you can't put in the bins, and Educational Resources. They also have links to other sources of recycling information.

There are specific sections for people living within the Burien City Limits and in Unincorporated King County. If neither of those fits you can choose your City

There's general information about things that can't go in the regular garbage, like yard waste, Electronics, Fluorescent tubes and bulbs and Hazardous Materials. Some can be put in the All-In-One Recycle bins. You can also sign up for yard waste and food scrap collection. For many others you need to find another way to dispose of them safely. Waste Management's Hazardous Materials page lists many hazardous materials, some of which may surprise you. They also have information about how and where to dispose of them, and even better, alternatives to avoid using them in the first place. The Yardwaste and All-In-One links above are specifically for Burien Residents. If you live somewhere else please use the choose Your City link above to find your guidelines, although they are likely to be similar.

Keep in mind that composting food scraps [either yourself or by using the Yard Waste Bin] is more environmentally friendly than using a garbage disposal. This article from Grinning Planet points out the problems with sending food scraps to the sewage plant or into your septic system, which is where they go when you put them down the garbage disposal. The article is too old to discuss food scrap recycling, but the garbage disposal points are still appropriate.

Two excellent additional resources are King County's Solid Waste Division page: What can I do with it? which lets you pick the type of item your interested in, then lists the resources for you. There's also Washington Toxics Coalition which asks: How safe are the products you use? Are there better choices and where do you find them? This page is your gateway to learning more, to buying safer products, and to taking action to make products safe.

And anyone can check the Wastemobile Schedule to see when it will be in their area. The Take It Back Network also has information about locations where many recyclable items [including many hazardous materials] can be dropped off.

Solar Washington is a private not-for-profit 501(c)3 association of solar energy equipment manufacturers, system integrators, distributors, dealers, designers, consultants, students, and interested people. Solar Washington is a chapter of the American Solar Energy Society located in Boulder, Colorado. ASES is the United States Section of the International Solar Energy Society which headquarters in Germany.

Our mission is to promote the development and effective use of solar and renewable energy and the related arts, sciences, and technologies with concern for the economic, environmental, and social fabric of Washington State through education.

They have information about solar power generation and water heating, passive solar systems, rebates and other incentives, and how to choose a contractor. Also be sure to see their Tips and Tricks page, which also includes links to other related sites. And you can read their newsletters.

Puget Sound Community Change is designed to encourage loyalty to locally-focused, sustainably-minded businesses, and to support local non-profits and schools in the process.

The program helps communities align citizens' values with their everyday purchases, harnessing purchasing power as a tool for achieving a sustainable future. When you shop at participating neighborhood businesses, you facilitate a shift of dollars to the common good through Community Rebates defined as cash rewards for consumers, and donations to not-for-profits and schools.

King County Water District No. 20 was established by voters in November 1925. The District’s beginnings consisted of a pump house and a well in the vicinity of South 100th Street and 10th Avenue South. Early water mains were constructed by hand placing galvanized lines. The District first connected to City of Seattle water supply mains in the 1930’s.

Water District 20 is part of the Saving Water Partnership which is a consortium of 18 water utilities implementing the 1% Water Conservation Initiative. The 1% Water Conservation Initiative is a water conservation goal to reduce personal and business water consumption 1% every year for ten years.

As part of that initiative savingwater.org has many excellent pamphlets including: Natural Yard Care, Natural Lawn Care, Choosing the Right Plants, The Plant List, Natural Pest, Weed and Disease Control, and Growing Healthy Soil. All of them are available for download as PDF files from www.savingwater.org. Also be sure to read their pamphlet Why Conserve.