SEPTEMBER 2024

BACK TO SCHOOL, WITHOUT THE WASTE!

🍎Are you a teacher, caregiver, or student getting ready for the school year? Start the year off smart by reducing waste—prioritize reuse and rethink the way you get school supplies!

Pack a low-waste lunch using reusables: Pack a refillable water bottle, reusable utensils, and prioritize snacks that come with less packaging to reduce waste at lunch time.
Host a clothing swap with friends and family: This is a fun way to go back-to-school 'shopping' involving your community and without actually having to buy anything new!
Purchase goods with recycled content: Did you know you can make a difference by supporting the demand for items made with recycled content? Look out for recycled content when purchasing paper, notepads, bulletin boards, rulers, scissors, pencils, and office furniture.
Buy secondhand school supplies: Save money and reduce waste by finding items like backpacks and lunch boxes at secondhand stores.

SHRED AND RECYCLE YOUR DOCUMENTS

Did you know shredded paper is NOT recyclable in your purple cart? Shred and recycle your documents at our next FREE Shred Event!

*3-box maximum per car (boxes cannot exceed 10x 12x 15 dimensions)

Learn more

TEST YOUR RECYCLING KNOWLEDGE!

Which item is recyclable in your purple cart?

A. Plastic utensils

B. Plastic bag

C. Plastic laundry jug

D. Hanger

Find the answer at the bottom of this email!

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Upcoming Workshops

The City of Long Beach hosts FREE workshops to help residents learn more about recycling, waste reduction, at-home composting, and more. Workshops are offered in English and Spanish.

What you can expect to learn:

How composting can help reduce waste and improve soil health.
How to start and maintain a backyard composting and vermicomposting (worm) bin.
Which materials can or cannot go in your compost bin.
How to use finished compost

All knowledge levels welcome!

RECYCLE YOUR MATTRESS 90-DAY PILOT PROGRAM

Getting rid of your old mattress? ♻️ Recycle it for FREE, whenever!

Long Beach residents can now drop off their mattresses in a designated area anytime until October 29, 2024.

By providing convenient and accessible mattress recycling options, we can significantly reduce the incidence of abandoned mattresses in our community.

Location: 970 W Chester Place, Long Beach, CA

Time: 24 hours/ 7 days a week*

Dates: August 1-October 29, 2024

*This is in addition to our ongoing monthly mattress drop-offs the first Saturday of every month.

Drop-off location

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

RSVP here

Fix-It Clinic At Burnett Neighborhood Library

October 5th from 12pm-3pm

Do you have a broken item? Learn how to repair an item alongside a volunteer fixer and try give your item a new life to keep it out of the landfill.

Bring items such as electronics, appliances, computers, toys, bicycles, clothes, or other items. Volunteer fixers will then assess, disassemble, and if possible, repair the item.

October is BYO Month!

The LB Reuses coalition is excited to announce Bring Your Own (BYO) Month in Long Beach from October 1-31! All month long, we will be celebrating local sustainably minded businesses by encouraging the community to BYO (Bring Your Own) to participating locations and join in on BYO events to collect stamps for fun prizes.

Join the fun!

Shoe Donation Event

The City of Long Beach, Waste Management, and Motiv Sports, invite you to donate your gently-worn running shoes and clothing at the Long Beach Marathon Expo October 4 - 6, 2024. The donated items will be cleaned and redistributed to community members in partnership with the Long Beach Rescue Mission, a local non-profit organization.

Learn more