Earth Day 2016

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EARTH DAY T H I N K

TODAY

FOR

TOMOR ROW

A SPECIAL PUBLI C AT ION OF T HE B OZ E M AN DAILY C HR O N I C L E

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Earth Day 2016

Friday, April 22

5 STEPS TO AN EASY CLEANUP BOZEMAN EVENT

CLEANUP BOZEMAN

Step 1: Call Us at 406-582-3203 A simple phone call sets up your Cleanup Bozeman event. Just be ready to let us know when and where you’d like to pick up litter (we have ideas if you need them), and how many volunteers you think you’ll have.

You supply the people. We supply the support.

DO SOME GOOD— FOR YOUR GROUP AND FOR BOZEMAN. A team building event made easy Cleanup Bozeman offers schools, workplaces, scout troops, neighborhoods, and other groups a chance to get outside, work together, and clean up our community in the process.

Your group, supported by the City With materials, gear, and instructions provided by the City of Bozeman, almost any group can easily host a free Cleanup Bozeman event that makes a big difference.

Just pick your ideal date and location to de-litter, and we’ll make sure your team has everything you need—from bags, vests and gloves to bag pickup afterwards.

FAQS

Step 3: Get the Kits Call us to arrange for drop off and pickup of your Cleanup Bozeman kit.

Step 4: Clean It Like You Mean It

Step 5: Remit the Kits

When should I host my event?

Where can we pick up?

Pick any day of the year, or even a whole week if needed. The best events are planned several weeks in advance.

Choose any neighborhood, trail, park, school, street or other public space, within Bozeman City Limits. (Or, call us and we can help pick a location.)

Brought to you by:

Fire up Facebook, pin up the bulletin board, and spread the word that you need your group to roll up their sleeves. See the Communications Guide for ideas on getting the word out.

Get your crew suited up with vests, gloves, and bags from the kit. Gather trash and recycling into bags in your designated area, then leave them on the boulevard.

We’ll come through to pick up your trash and recycling bags as part of our regular neighborhood trash collection.

You name the time and place

Watch for Cleanup Bozeman supported events in our community!

Step 2: Tell Your Group

Give us a call and we will pick up your kit and unused materials. Or bring your kit back to the City for a sincere thank you from our team (and so the next group can volunteer).

For more information visit www.BozemanSolidWaste.com or call 406-582-3203

Earth Day 2016

THIS YEAR

CLEAN UP BOZEMAN AT YOUR CONVENIENCE

By the City of Bozeman Solid Waste Division

As

winter wanes and steps aside for warm sunshine and flip flop season, the aftermath of a hard winter is unearthed. Brisk winds blow around old debris and months of winter pet poop suddenly appear again. Spring is the perfect time for a community cleanup.

For many years, Bozeman held one annual community cleanup day each April to spruce up our streets, alleys, boulevards, trails and parks. But weather often interfered.

“Spring is an unpredictable time in Bozeman,” said Solid Waste Supervisor Kevin Handelin. “Many years we would have snow-covered ground, chilly temperatures or rainstorms. It was tough to get enough participation on a single day each year to make much of a dent in spring cleanup.”

This year, the City of Bozeman’s Solid Waste Division has created a new program to clean up Bozeman any time you want.

“Cleanup Bozeman” is now a year-round program that can be completed in five quick and easy steps. The Solid Waste Division offers cleanup kits to individuals and groups, and residents have 364 additional days to pick up trash and debris.

The cleanup kits contain everything you need to create your own cleanup day, including reflective vests, gloves, bags and communication tools to help you get out the word to participants.

While starting your own Cleanup Bozeman event may sound daunting, it isn’t!

Here are the five easy steps: Step 1: Call 406-582-3203. Let us know when and where you’d like to pick up litter and how many will be in your group.

Step 2: Spread the word to participants that it’s time to roll up their sleeves with the provided communication tools.

Step 3: Get the kits. When you call, we’ll make arrangements to drop off your Cleanup Bozeman kit (including vests, gloves, bags and instructions), or you can pick it up at your convenience.

Step 4: Clean it like you mean it! Gather trash and recycling into the provided bags in your designated area, then leave them on the boulevard. The Solid Waste Division will pick up your bags during regular neighborhood trash collection.

Step 5: Remit the kits. Call us and we’ll pick up your kit and unused materials for use by the next Cleanup Day group. Or return your kit to the City.

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Earth Day 2016

Friday, April 22

New Company. New Look.

Same great people.

Same great products.

Continued focus on Trident Plant Sustainability In 2015, the Trident Cement Plant was proud to officially become part of the CRH family.

We are your local leader, and part of a growing global building materials company with a proud and successful history. As CRH, we will continue to deliver products and services, contribute to the local economy and our communities, with the same integrity and reliability that we have built our reputation on for 106+ years!

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The City can help you find spots within Bozeman city limits to target on your day, will walk you through the process and even pick up the bags. You pat yourself on the back for giving back to our community by giving it a little spit shine. It’s all easy!

The Cleanup Bozeman program goal is to expand the reach of a traditional neighborhood cleanup day, and allow groups, businesses, neighborhood groups and individuals to plan and execute a cleanup event on their time schedule.

“By creating a regular, yearlong program for cleanup activities, we are making the process much more userfriendly,” Handelin said. “Residents can choose their own pickup crew, and decide on the day and area that is most convenient for them. It increases participation and makes a cleanup event easy for businesses, groups, families or even individuals.”

We all love where we live . . . because of the parks, trails, quaint neighborhoods and vibrant downtown.

Let’s all pitch in and do our part to keep Bozeman awesome and tidy!

To reserve a Cleanup Bozeman kit, please call 406-582-3203 or visit: www.BozemanSolidWaste.com.

FIRST CLEANUP BOZEMAN EVENT IS SATURDAY, APRIL 23

Everyone is invited to the first Cleanup Bozeman Event using the new Cleanup Bozeman Program.

It will be held on Saturday, April 23, at the Bozeman Library. Presented by the City of Bozeman’s Sustainability and Neighborhoods Divisions, it is hosted by the Bozeman Beautification Advisory Board.

The event begins at 8 a.m., when participants can pick up their cleanup kit and enjoy coffee and breakfast. At 8:30 a.m., Deputy Mayor Cynthia Andrus kicks things off. Then it’s time to Cleanup Bozeman!

Visit www.bozeman.net/CleanUpDay to register.

Earth Day 2016

Friday, April 22 5

AT IO N V R E S N O C WAT E R T HE I S V I TA L T O

E R U T U F S ’ Y CI T

By Lisa Reuter, Chronicle Special

Sections Writer

The water you save today may be the water your children drink in 20 years.

Not literally of course, but water conservation now is the City of Bozeman’s No. 1 strategy for making sure water is available to all Bozeman residents 20 years from now. That’s about the time the city will begin experiencing gaps between demand and available supply, said Lain Leoniak, who has been the city’s water conservation manager for two years.

“Only 1 percent of the world’s water supply is available for drinking. That’s not very much,” she said. “For a city like Bozeman, it’s a greater concern because we live in a semi-arid environment and we’re the headwaters of the headwaters of the Missouri River. There is no upstream for us.”

But there are plenty of people downstream, including Belgrade, Three Forks and Manhattan residents and farms and ranches who also require water. “We want to be sure we are good stewards for them and for future residents,” she added.

Since 2013, Bozeman residents have reduced their water usage to 116 gallons per person a day, from 127. “We’re off to a really great start, but we can’t rest. We need to keep going, and the effort really begins and ends with individuals,” she said.

Lawn and garden season is just around the corner, and about 50 percent of the city’s total annual water usage will go to outdoor watering. Leoniak suggested several ways residents can cut their outdoor water usage and bills.

• First, if you didn’t save it, get a copy of the Saturday, April 16, Bozeman Daily Chronicle. It included the city’s new “Planting & Outdoor Watering Guide,” which is loaded with water conservation tips, including easy-to-use listings of water-saver plants and shrubs that do well in our climate. You’ll find an online copy of the guide at BozemanDailyChronicle.com under Magazines.

• Be sure to check the pages that describe water-smart landscapes. “In the 25 weeks between April and October, Bozeman gets an average of only 16 inches of rain,” Leoniak said. “That’s not enough to support a traditional Kentucky bluegrass lawn, which requires one to 1.5 inches of water a week. We have to supplement with a lot of additional water to keep that grass green.” But there are alternative grasses, and even stunning but low-maintenance, water-wise landscape options.

• Next, run the test described at www.bozemanwater.com to determine your soil type. It’s clay, sand or silt loam and which it is will determine how you amend your soil to make sure the water you use really reaches plant roots.

If you’re among the 72% of Bozeman residents who have automatic in-ground watering systems, pat yourself on the back.

They can save lots of water when they work properly. Check yours before you start to use it, and repair leaky lines, broken nozzles and misaligned heads. In addition, consider upgrading your system with rebates from the City of Bozeman to add: A smart controller. It uses web-based or onsite weather information to determine when and how much to water. Some even allow you to monitor and change sprinkler settings with a convenient phone app.

Earn a $250 rebate for retrofitting an existing system, $50 for a new installation, and significantly dial back your water usage.

A rain sensor. It detects rainfall and overrides system settings to save you the embarrassment of watering during a prolonged rainstorm. You’ll find them at local garden centers and online. You could earn a rebate of up to $50 for installing it on an existing system, $10 for a new system.

High-efficiency MSMT nozzles. Instead of spraying a fine mist from traditional pop-up spray heads, which mostly evaporates, these nozzles lay a solid stream of water right onto the lawn.

Finally, for landscape beds, consider installing a drip-watering system that slowly puts water onto the soil. If you add two to three inches of mulch on top of that, you’ll cut water usage even more.

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Earth Day 2016

Friday, April 22

BEING RESPONSIBLE WITH E-WASTE Free E-Waste Recycling on April 23

County’s New Trash Website Shines

You can do your part to significantly reduce the e-waste going into the Logan Landfill – and save some money too – on Saturday, April 23, when the Gallatin Solid Waste Management District holds its annual Free E-Waste Recycling Day, From 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., all fees for e-waste disposal will be waived. Normally the rate is $27 a ton, with a $5 minimum fee for amounts less than 400 pounds. To ease traffic congestion and save gasoline, residents are encouraged to gather e-waste from friends and neighbors before heading out to the landfill, at 10585 Two Dog Rd., which is south and east of I-90 Exit 283 (Logan).

The Gallatin Solid Waste Management District’s new, superuser-friendly website is packed with information on how and where to recycle everything from paper and plastic to household cleaners, batteries, propane canisters, and specific, hazardous car maintenance, gardening and workshop waste. It lists upcoming events; tips for reducing, reusing and recycling; and what is and isn’t accepted at the landfill, plus landfill hours and fees. Do the planet a favor and check it often. It’s at https://www.GallatinSolidWaste.org.

WHAT IS E-WASTE? Anything with a circuit board Answering machines Computer mice Desktop computers Digital cameras Digital clocks/clock radios DVD players Fax machines Keyboards Laptop computers Mobile phones Modems

Monitors Printers Remote controls Routers Scanners Servers Set top boxes Stereos/boom boxes Tablets Telephones Televisions VCRs

ORGANIC GRASS-FINISHED BEEF All animals are humanely raised with free range pasture year round. Competitively priced to be sold as quarters, halves and wholes. Costume Processing Locally.

ORGANICALLY-RAISED BOER GOATS Goats are trained to eat noxious weeds such as leafy spurge, could make good pets or 4H projects, or sold as meat goats. Custom processed locally.

ORGANICALLY-CERTIFIED ALFALFA & SANFOIN MIXED GRASS HAY Alfala and Sanfoin mixed grass forage in winter as well as rotating grass pastures in summer.

5407 US Hwy 89 • Belt, Montana

(406) 899-9830

davidanderson44@outlook.com

Earth Day 2016

D E N E P P A H W H AT T S A L R U T O YO GA D G E T ?

s Writer

By Lisa Reuter, Chronicle Special Section

G

etting a new phone, digital camera, personal computer, printer or TV is always fun. The new tool is guaranteed to be faster, smaller, lighter or smarter, or all four.

Saving the earth, one soapstone fireplace at a time. The world’s most environmentally friendly, cleanest burning fireplaces.

406.333.4383 LIVINGSTON, MONTANA WARMSTONE.COM

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But what happens to our old electronics?

They are not made to last or repurpose. They’re difficult to recycle, and they contain heavy metals – especially lead, cadmium and mercury – that are difficult to extract.

Recycling electronic waste, or e-waste (defined as anything containing a circuit board), is the best practice, and the benefit is huge for the environment – and thus, for all of us.

In 2013, the United States generated 3,140,000 tons of e-waste and recycled 1,270,000 tons, or 40.4 percent of it. That means 1,870,000 tons went into landfills.

That same year, Gallatin County recycled 83 tons of e-waste. If our e-waste recycling rate matched the national average of 40.4 percent, we buried an additional 122 tons in the Logan Landfill. In 2015, the county recycled 217 tons, sending one semi-truck of e-waste a month – and two in summer – to California to be recycled.

But we added another 320 tons to the landfill.

That 320 tons will never decompose to occupy less space.

But, with just a bit more human effort, many of those gadgets might be entertaining someone else today.

Or a greater percentage might be recycled. It really is worth the effort.

Most of us get a new cell phone every two years, and a new television every 4.5. Imagine the savings if everyone tried to reduce, recycle or reuse just those two things.

Then look at the list of all the other gadgets that constitute e-waste.

And consider: That doesn’t take into account electrical waste, which includes many more tons of blenders, can openers, coffee makers, crock pots, curling irons, electric shavers, hair dryers, irons, microwave ovens, mixers, power tools, lamps, toasters, toys, vacuum cleaners and weed trimmers.

“There’s a lot of stuff that can be kept out of the landfill,” said Rob Pudner, outreach educator for the district.

“It would be really nice if we could keep out the things that have value and get some money for them.”

And imagine again.

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Earth Day 2016

Friday, April 22

A S L E N A P R A L EA SO D I L U F R E W PO TA NA I N MO N

By Lisa

Reuter,

C h r oni

cle Spe

cial Se

If you’ve already installed better windows and insulation to make your home more energy efficient, now might be the time to add solar power panels.

More than 1,500 Montana homes, businesses, farms and public buildings now use them to generate their own power, with 78 percent of the installations being residential.

Two factors are fueling the industry’s current 30 percent annual increase in sales. The cost of solar panels has dropped 75 percent since 2010. And a 2013 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study in California indicates that property value increases by $20,000 for every $1,000 your solar system saves off electric bills per year.

Not to mention that folks who install a typical-for-Montana 6.5 kilowatt system can reduce their monthly electric bill to a simple $5.25 monthly service fee.

“Bozeman gets an average of 4.7 peak sun hours a day, which is as much as some Florida locations get. So it’s definitely a worthwhile expenditure here,” said Orion Thornton, who is partner/ owner with Conor Darby of four-year-old Onsite Energy, a local solar installation company.

Most of Onsite Energy’s installations on existing homes range in size from five to seven kilowatts and have an average cost of $20,000, which includes design, installation, testing and instruction on how the system works. When compared to other power generation systems, people are attracted to the long-term dependability of solar, as the technology is passive, with no moving parts, and little to no maintenance required.

Darby often walks homeowners through the decision-making

process. He assesses electrical usage, physical space available for a solar array and budget to determine the ultimate system size and design.

The average homeowner will recoup installation costs in 12 years. “You start by calculating your applicable state and federal income tax credits, then factoring in savings on your electric bill,” he said.

Some people pay cash for the installation, but many more take advantage of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s Alternative Energy Revolving Loan Program, which has an interest rate of 3.25 percent on a 10-year loan.

In its infancy, the solar industry’s customers primarily were people living away from any power grid. These days, more than 95 percent of residential customers install a net-metered system that ties into an existing utility company power grid. A small percentage also chooses a grid-tied, battery-backup system that allows switching to battery power when weather knocks out the power company’s supply. Such systems have been in demand in the East since Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012.

Locally, Darby said, many of Onsite Energy’s initial customers were retirees or individuals in their prime earning years who wanted to take more control over their energy costs. “Now, we’re seeing a lot more younger people who have graduated from college in the past 10 to 15 years with a heightened awareness of the environmental costs of energy consumption and just see it as the right thing to do.”

ctions

Writer

Earth Day 2016

R E CY CL I N G IN GA L L AT I N COU N R

By Lisa

hr o euter, C

ecial S nicle Sp

ections

City of Bozeman Services The city offers single-stream curbside recycling services for City of Bozeman garbage collection customers. All items can be placed in the same bin. The city picks up recycling every other week.

Accepted are Plastics 1-7, aluminum and steel cans, paper and cardboard. All should be flattened. No glass. For details, service options and fees, call 406-582-3200, or visit BozemanSolidWaste.com.

Other Curbside Recycling Providers

TY

Writer

• Ballfields: Highland Blvd., across from Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital • Billion Auto, 1 Auto Plaza Dr. • Bozeman Convenience Site, 2143 Story Mill Rd. • Gallatin Motor Co., 31910 E. Frontage Rd. • Home Depot, 1771 N. 19th St. • MSU, S. 13th Ave. and College St. (Parking Lot) • Safeway, 1735 W. Main St.

• Gone Green, 406-855-9870

• Amsterdam, Across from Amsterdam Market

• J & K Recyclers, 406-582-0243

• Belgrade, W. Madison Ave. & Eileen Pl.

• Republic Services, 406-586-0606

• Four Corners, Mama Macs

• Reach, a non-profit empowering adults with disabilities, 406-587-1271 (serving Bozeman, Belgrade, Four Corners)

• Gallatin Gateway: Gateway Community Center • Logan Landfill, 10585 Two Dog Rd.

Gallatin County Drop-Off Recycling Sites The Gallatin Solid Waste Management District offers convenient recycling sites around the county. They’re the big beige metal bins.

They take cardboard, cereal-type boxes and brown paper bags; Plastic Numbers 1 and 2 bottles and jugs only; newsprint, mail and office paper; and steel and aluminum cans. The sites are at:

• Manhattan, Valley Improvement Center • Three Forks, 150 E. Railroad Ave. • West Yellowstone, Transfer Station, 105 Hayden St. • For lots more recycling news and guidance, check out the district’s new website: https://www.GallatinSolidWaste.org.

• Walmart, 1500 N. 7th Ave. • Fairgrounds, Site expected in late spring, off Oak St. entrance

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HEAD’S UP ON PLASTICS: • When recycling plastics at home, remember that the City of Bozeman accepts Plastics Number 1 through 7.

• The Gallatin Solid Waste Management District operates the big, beige metal bins scattered around the county.

These take only Plastic Numbers 1 and 2 bottles and jugs only.

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Earth Day 2016

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Friday, April 22

Household Hazardous Waste Gallatin County residents can take Household Hazardous Waste to the Bozeman Convenience Site (2143 Story Mill Rd.) at no charge from 9 a.m. to noon on the second Saturday of each month.

Hazardous household waste includes: motor oil, antifreeze, oil-based paint (not latex), solvents, pesticides, batteries, fertilizers, pool chemicals, bleach, drain openers, aerosols, mercury thermometers and much more. For latex paint, dry thoroughly (with kitty litter, sawdust, sand or dirt) and include in regular trash.

Questions? Call Household Hazardous Waste Specialist Ray Harrison at 406-539-1161.

The Logan Landfill The Logan Landfill (south and east of I-90, at Exit 283) accepts batteries, propane tanks and cylinders, pesticide containers, bear spray, oil & antifreeze, scrap metal, fluorescent bulbs, e-waste, tires, water heaters, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, ranges, washers, dryers and lawn mowers. Call 406-582-2493 for details and fees.

Other Recyclables These items can go elsewhere: • Plastic bags to grocery stores • Batteries to electronics stores • Packing peanuts to UPS • E-waste to Staples

Recycling Plastic Film Bags Flexible plastic such as grocery, bread, retail, sandwich, newspaper, produce and dry cleaning bags, may be dropped off at Albertsons, Safeway, Kohl’s, Target, Lowe’s, Rosauers, Walmart and Smith’s.

Recycling Glass: J & K Recyclers and Gone Green offer fee-based glass recycling.

Four Corners Recycling offers Bayern EcoPack boxes for people wishing to send their brown beer bottles to Missoula for reuse. Check bayernbrewery.com/ecopack. html or call Four Corners, 406-220-6701.

FREE

Electronic Waste Recycling Event April 23, 2016 at Logan Landfill from 7:30 am - 4:30 pm

THIS EVENT IS ONLY FOR ELECTRONIC WASTE

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Questions on E-Waste event call 406.582.2493

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We Will NOT be Accepting:

Household Hazardous Waste Call 406.539.1161 for HHW information Hosted by Gallatin Solid Waste Management District

GallatinSolidWaste.org

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Computer Towers, Laptops, Monitors, Printers, TV’s, Stereo Equipment, VCRs, Copiers, Keyboards, Mice, Cell Phones, Handheld Electronics & Rechargeable Batteries *Regular Trash Rates Still Apply

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A Q U I Z F O R E A R T H D AY H O W M U C H D O Y O U K N O W A B O U T E N E R G Y, W AT E R , A N D T R A S H ?

TA K E O U R Q U I Z A N D S E E !

1. In 2014, three countries had the world’s highest primary energy consumption. What were they in order?

2. In 2015, the United States generated about 4 trillion kilowatt hours of electricity. 66% of this electricity was generated by using two

A. China, The United States and Russia

A. Coal and nuclear power.

C. The United States, Russia and China

C. Coal and hydropower.

B. The United States, China and Russia

B. Coal and natural gas.

3. How much ice on average is being lost each year from all of the mountain glaciers around the world combined?

4. How much of the world’s water is available for human use?

A. 400 million tons of ice.

A. 97%.

C. 400 billion tons of ice.

C. Less than 1%.

B. 200 billion tons of ice.

B. 3%.

5. The average U.S. person uses how much water a day?

6. What’s the most common type of litter found in the oceans?

A. 25 to 50 gallons.

A. Plastic bottles.

C. 80 to 100 gallons.

C. Food wrappers.

B. 50 to 75 gallons.

B. Cigarettes and filters.

7. What is the most common type of trash thrown away by Americans?

8. How long does it take a Styrofoam cup to decompose?

A. Glass.

A. More than 4 years.

C. Plastic.

B. Paper products and cardboard.

C. More than 400 years.

B. More than 40 years.

Quiz Answers 1. A. China, 2502 Mtoe; The United States, 2372 Mtoe; and Russia, 720 Mtoe. Source: the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Mtoe means Million tonnes of oil equivalent; and a tonne of oil equivalent is a unit representing the amount of energy generated by burning one metric ton (1000 kilograms, or 2204.68 pounds) or 7.4 barrels of oil.

3. C. 400 billion tons of ice. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration.

7. B. Paper products and cardboard, which make up 39% of all U.S. trash. Source: Miami Dade College.

4. C. Less than 1%. Source: The University of Michigan.

8. C. More than 400 years.

2. B. Coal and natural gas. Both coal and natural gas contributed 33% each, nuclear power contributed 20% and hydropower contributed 6%. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration.

6. B. 2,117,931 cigarettes and filters were found by volunteers of the 2012 International Coastal Cleanup, according to oceanconservancy.org. The volunteers found 1,140,222 food wrappers and 1,065,171 plastic bottles.

5. C. 80 to 100 gallons. And we flush 28% of that down the toilet. Sources: U.S. Geological Survey and PNAS Journal.

STAFF

Editor/ Writer Lisa Reuter

Design Brooke Benson

Advertising Director Cindy Sease

Y A D H T R A E IL A PR

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Advertising Manager Sylvia Drain