Home

2008 Press Releases

Waste Management Driver Appreciation Awards Luncheon

(12/1/08)

Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSD) hosted a Waste Management of Alameda County (WMAC) Driver Appreciation Luncheon and Awards ceremony yesterday Wednesday, December 10th at District offices.

WMAC driver Victor Gutierrez was recognized for Fewest Missed Pick-Ups for Route 873 for the past six months.

WMAC driver James McNally was recognized for Outstanding Customer Service for Route 401 for the past six months.

CVSD would like to thank all WMAC drivers and staff for their service in the collection of solid waste.

Waste Management Driver Appreciation Awards Luncheon

(12/1/08)

Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSD) will host a Waste Management of Alameda County (WMAC) Driver Appreciation Luncheon and Awards ceremony on Wednesday, December 10th at District offices.

CVSD would like to thank all WMAC drivers and staff for their service in the collection of solid waste.

Schedule your Bulky Waste Pick-Ups for 2008

(11/14/08)

CVSD single-family residents or a multi-family residence with four (4) units or less qualifies for one (1) annual on-call bulky waste pick-up per calendar year (January-December).

•Items accepted in the pick-up include: two (2) cubic yards of garbage, three (3) large furniture items, three (3) large appliances, four (4) passenger car or light truck tires, and tree pruning and branches in bundles not longer than four (4’) feet.

•Appliances, tires, televisions, computer monitors, and mattresses will be recycled or reused, respectively.

•For more information about guidelines, acceptable items, and to schedule your appointment, please call Waste Management of Alameda County at (510) 537-5500.

Veterans Day & Thanksgiving Holiday

(11/3/08)

Veterans Day Holiday
Garbage, recycling, and greenwaste collection services will remain on schedule the week of November 10-14, 2008.

Castro Valley Sanitary District offices will be closed Tuesday, November 11, 2008 in recognition of the Veterans Day Holiday.

Thanksgiving Day Holiday
Garbage, recycling, and greenwaste collection services will be one (1) day later than usual November 27-29, 2008. Thursday’s collection will be on Friday, and Friday’s collection on Saturday.

Castro Valley Sanitary District offices will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 27-28, 2008 in recognition of the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Castro Valley Sanitary District Residents Receive Cash for Trash

(10/22/08)

Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSD) held an Open House and Awards Ceremony for its 12 Annual Recycled Art Contest on Tuesday, October 21, 2008. The District awarded a total of $4,950.00 in an effort to promote reuse and recycling in the community. $2,875.00 in awards was distributed to individual contest winners. Prize winning students received equivalent cash awards for their schools totaling $2,075.00.

All 120 entries made with salvaged materials were on display during the Open House and Awards Ceremony. Select winning entries will remain on display through 2009 and some will be photographed for the District’s 2009 Recycled Art Contest Calendar and Annual Report. The calendar will be distributed to over 55,000 residents and businesses this December. Also, select projects will be featured at the Adobe Art Gallery from November 6 to December 10, 2008.

Reuse and Recycle that Electronic Waste (E-Waste)

(10/2/08)

College students often leave home with gifts of a new computer, television or stereo. But it shouldn’t simply be “out with the old” in making these new electronics purchases: computers and other electronic products are the fastest growing – and among the least recycled – components of America’s waste stream.

When dealing with your old electronics, remember the saying, “Another person’s trash is another person’s treasure” and consider donating working items for reuse.

Free’N Exchange is a new program provided by Greenopolis and is designed to help reduce waste and connect users with others in need of everyday items. The map-based application – which combines features from popular sites Craigslist, eBay and Freecycle – allows users to trade goods at no cost with other people in their geographic area and promotes reuse for items that would otherwise end up discarded. To learn more about Free’N Exchange, visit: http://greenopolis.com/marketplace/free-n-exchange.

There are many recycling opportunities available for electronics that are beyond repair. Castro Valley Sanitary District residents may recycle e-waste in their annual bulky-waste pick-up; call Waste Management at (510) 537-5500 to schedule. Many thrift stores, such as Salvation Army, now accept e-waste (working and non-working). Visit the Recycling Wizard at www.stopwaste.org
for a list of companies that accept e-waste.

Local e-waste collection events are another good option. For a searchable list of upcoming e-waste recycling events by zip code, visit www.earth911.org.

Green Ribbon Schools Program - Eight Castro Valley Schools to be Certified October 7, 2008

(10/1/08)

In October 2007, Castro Valley Sanitary District launched the Green Ribbon Schools Program to guide schools towards sustainable implementation of waste reduction and recycling programs.

The Green Ribbon application consists of a menu of mandatory and optional activities that center around the 4Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, & Rot. Activities range from: “Make double-sided printing a school policy” to “Provide containers for organics collection in the kitchen” and “Use paper office products made with recycled content.”

The following eight schools met or exceeded the program requirements and will officially become Green Ribbon Certified Schools by the Castro Valley Sanitary District Board of Directors at the October 7, 2008 meeting of the Board.

•Castro Valley Adult School
•Castro Valley High School •Canyon Middle School
•Creekside Middle School
•Chabot Elementary School
•Independent Elementary School
•Jensen Ranch Elementary School
•Our Lady of Grace School

In addition to being recognized for their efforts to “go green,” all Green Ribbon Certified schools will receive:

•A check in the amount of $2,000.00
•An award certificate
•A biodegradable banner or flag made from recycled plastic bottles

All 18 public and private schools located within the Castro Valley Sanitary District and/or Castro Valley Unified School District are eligible to participate.

Please join us at 6:30 p.m. on October 7, 2008 at the Castro Valley Sanitary District, 21040 Marshall Street, for the official Green Ribbon certification of eight Castro Valley schools. For more information, please visit www.cvsan.org/ee.htm or call (510) 537-0757.

Bring Your Own Bag Free Reusable Tote Bag Giveaway

(10/1/08)

Castro Valley Sanitary District is offering free reusable tote bags in support of the County-wide Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) campaign.

Residents can sign the guest book to pledge their commitment to the environment by bringing their tote bag every time they go the grocery store. These tote bags are different than the average tote bag; they are made from 80% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.

BYOB Give-Away Schedule

Rite Aid Pharmacy
Saturday, October 11, 9 a.m.

Longs Drug Store
Saturday, October 25, 12:30 p.m.

Each BYOB Give-Away is anticipated to last 3 hours. Supplies are limited. First come, first served. Castro Valley Sanitary District Residents only please.

The average person will save 250 plastic bags per year by bringing their own reusable bag when shopping, 80% of which came from the grocery store!

If Californians stopped using plastic bags it would save over 4,000 barrels of oil a day (over 1,600,000 barrels a year) and keep 146,000 tons of rubbish out of our landfills and away from marine life.

For more information, please visit www.cvsan.org
or call (510) 537-0757.

Old Pills Piling Up? California''s October 4-11 No Drugs Down the Drain campaign offers free, easy disposal options for unwanted meds

(9/30/08)

CALIFORNIA—This fall, medicine cabinets across the state will have the opportunity for a makeover as a statewide “No Drugs Down the Drain” campaign kicks off. The No Drugs Down the Drain campaign is a mammoth collaborative effort between the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) and its agency members, and the California Regional Water Quality Control Board to promote proper disposal of unwanted medication to all Californians in an effort to keep pharmaceuticals out of the sewer system and waterways. Residents can visit www.NoDrugsDownTheDrain.org
for local disposal options.

With drug sales doubling in recent years and outpacing population growth, pharmaceutical waste has emerged as a major issue for the environment. With this increase, human disposal practices of flushing medicine down the toilet or pouring them in the drains may be a significant source of pharmaceuticals in the environment. In fact, before data began to show the presence of pharmaceuticals in our creeks, bays and oceans, it was commonplace for doctors and pharmacists to recommend that medication be disposed of down the toilet.

Now, amid scientific research showing that improperly disposed of medication is having a negative impact on wildlife, water pollution prevention agencies are seeking to educate and thereby persuade residents to properly dispose of unwanted medication.

“While flushing unwanted medication is just one source of pharmaceutical compounds in waterways, we can all make a difference by increasing access to safe, free medicine disposal alternatives to flushing,” stated Alexis Strauss, director of Water Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Pacific Southwest Region. “We are working with many partners, including the pharmaceutical industry, local utilities and others, to provide options for responsible disposal of waste pharmaceuticals.”

With more advanced technology detecting the pharmaceutical compounds in the environment, wastewater treatment agencies have become increasingly concerned about proper medicine disposal, particularly after studies showed the presence of pharmaceuticals in waterways had been linked to the skewed gender ratios in fish populations off the coast of Orange County; other research showed male fish in the Potomac River and Boulder Creek displaying female traits.

Now that we understand the negative impact pharmaceuticals can have on fish and wildlife, flushing is NOT considered to be proper disposal.” said Catherine Smith of CASA. “The statewide No Drugs Down the Drain Campaign’s goal is to build an awareness among Californians about this important issue and to give them local recommendations for proper disposal of unwanted medicine.”

To find more information about local disposal options, visit www.NoDrugsDownTheDrain.org.

New Safe Needle Disposal

(9/22/08)

California Senate Bill 1305 which became effective September 1, 2008 prohibits the placement of sharps (home-generated hypodermic needles, pen needles, intravenous, and lancets) in the trash, recycling or greenwaste carts.

Sharps waste can only be transported in approved sharps containers and managed at a household hazardous waste facility, a home-generated sharps collection location (which may be a pharmacy or a medical waste generator’s facility), a hospital, clinic, or through a mail-back program.

Disposing of Your Syringes:

All needles should be treated as if they carry a disease. The improper disposal puts sanitation workers and the public at risk of needle sticks and serious infections. Do not place others at risk when safe and convenient alternatives are available.

Why Are Needles Dangerous?

They can injure people; can spread germs (hepatitis and HIV/AIDS); damage recycling equipment; and require people to be tested for years for HIV and hepatitis, if they are stuck.

Mail Back Program:

Castro Valley Sanitary District reminds its residents of its Sharps Disposal by Mail Program. These programs provide individuals with a safe and convenient way of disposing of used hypodermic needles via a postage-prepaid shipping container delivered safety by the United States Postal Service to a certified medical waste facility, where it is destroyed.

Residents may purchase mail-back containers at stores such as Rite Aid or Longs Drugs. Residents (who show ID) receive discounted containers at Rite Aid.

To avoid needle sticks at home and protect garbage and recycling workers, don’t do the following:
•Don’t throw used needles, syringes, or lancets in the garbage, recycling or greenwaste carts.
•Don’t flush needles down the toilet.
•Don’t put needles into used plastic milk jugs, bleach bottles, or soda bottles.

To properly and legally dispose of needles, do the following:
•Do use an approved disposal container.
•Do find a collection center for proper disposal. Visit Hayward’s Household Hazardous Waste now on the web at www.household-hazwaste.org
or call their toll number at 800-606-6606 for more information.

Protect Yourself, Protect Others

Labor Day Holiday

(8/21/08)

Castro Valley Sanitary District will observe Labor Day, September 1, 2008 as a holiday. District offices will be closed.

Waste Management of Alameda County will not be observing September 1, 2008 as a holiday. Therefore, garbage, recycling and greenwaste collection services will take place on their normal collection day and WMAC offices will be open on September 1st.

Should you have any questions, please call CVSD at 510-537-0757.

Fourth of July Holiday

(7/1/08)

The collection of recycling, greenwaste, and garbage will be on regular schedule the week of July 1st.

Castro Valley Sanitary District offices will be closed on Friday, July 4th. For information regarding District services and programs, visit www.cvsan.org.

Bring Your Own Bag - Free Reusable Tote Bags Giveaway at Castro Valley Supermarkets

(6/12/08)

Castro Valley Sanitary District is offering free reusable tote bags in support of the County-wide Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) campaign.

Residents can sign the guest book to pledge their commitment to the environment by bringing their tote bag every time they go the grocery store. These tote bags are different than the average tote bag; they are made from 80% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.

BYOB Give-Away Schedule

Castro Valley Farmer''s Market
Saturday, June 14th, 9:00 a.m.

Lucky Supermarket
Wednesday, June 25th, 3:00 p.m.

Safeway

Wednesday, July 2, 12:30 p.m.

PW Market
Wednesday, July 23, 12:30 p.m.

Trader Joe''s
Wednesday, August 13, 12:30 p.m

Each BYOB Give-Away is anticipated to last 3 hours. Supplies are limited. First come, first served. Castro Valley Sanitary District residents only please.

The average person will save 250 plastic bags per year by bringing their own reusable bag when shopping, 80% of which came from the grocery store!

If Californians stopped using plastic bags it would save over 4,000 barrels of oil a day (over 1,600,000 barrels a year) and keep 146,000 tons of rubbish out of our landfills and away from marine life.

For more information, please visit www.cvsan.org or call (510) 537-0757.

Castro Valley Sanitary District''s Qualified List of Plumbing Contractors for the 2008/09 Lateral Replacement Grant Program

(5/29/08)

The Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSD) will be continuing the Lateral Replacement Grant Program (LRGP) effective July 7, 2008. Those State of California licensed contractors interested in being listed as a “CVSD Qualified Plumbing Contractor,” eligible to provide quotations to residents who are participating in the LRGP please submit a written request to Castro Valley Sanitary District, 21040 Marshall Street, Castro Valley, CA 94546 no later than June 13,2008.

Memorial Day Holiday

(5/19/08)

Castro Valley Sanitary District offices will be closed Monday, May 26, 2008 in observance of the holiday. Please call (510) 537-0757 with questions or for sewer emergencies.

Waste Management of Alameda County services will be on schedule the week of May 26th. Please call WMAC at (510) 537-5500 with solid waste services questions.

Shred your documents and recycle your household batteries, flourescent light bulbs & electronic waste - free of charge! @ Castro Valley Sanitary District''s Document Shredding & U-Waste Collection Day 2008

(5/7/08)

Batteries, fluorescent light bulbs & electronics (u-waste) contain significant amounts of toxic materials and must be disposed of properly.

On Saturday, July 12th from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Castro Valley residents and businesses may bring documents for shredding and the following u-waste items for recycling (or reuse in some cases) to Canyon Middle School, located at 19600 Cull Canyon Road, Castro Valley, CA 94552. The event is free of charge.

* Televisions & monitors (including LCD & plasma), computer towers/CPUs, cell phones, cell phones (including batteries and accessories), printers, PDAs, DVD players, DVDs, VCRs, copy machines, fax machines, calculators, mouse (mice), keyboards, stereo systems, speakers, telephones, typewriters, record players, clock radios, overhead projectors, LCD projectors, digital cameras, regular cameras, wires/cables, power supplies, hard drives & tape recorders.

* Household batteries and fluorescent light bulbs.

* Paper documents contained in cardboard boxes or paper bags.

E-Waste will be dismantled and separated into recyclable commodities at a California Integrated Waste Management Board-certified recycling facility in San Leandro, CA. All hard drives will be wiped of data or destroyed. Usable e-waste may be salvaged for reuse. Batteries and fluorescent light bulbs will be taken to the Alameda County Household Hazardous Waste Facility for proper disposal. Documents will be shredded on site for recycling.

This free, one-day event is for Castro Valley residents only; please bring a photo ID or Waste Management bill. Household items such as appliances (refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers), household electronics (microwaves, can openers, blenders, vacuums), books and packaging will NOT be accepted.

For more information, please visit www.cvsan.org or call (510) 537-0757.

Earth Day 2008 Report: Go Green. CV Clean!

(5/2/08)

The weather was perfect on Saturday, April 26, 2008 for Castro Valley Sanitary District’s Earth Day Clean-Up.

Approximately 800 volunteers at 9 Castro Valley Unified School District schools and 5 public sites participated in the 6th annual Earth Day Clean-Up. Volunteers cleared 45 cu. yds. of yard waste to be composted and abated 7 cu. yds. of litter from Castro Valley streets, parks, schools, and creeks. Volunteers enjoyed a free catered lunch at Lake Chabot, provided by Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley and Alameda County agencies. Volunteers also received an event T-shirt and reusable shopping bag, both made of recycled plastic bottles.

Castro Valley Sanitary District thanks all its volunteers for helping to keep Castro Valley beautiful!

CVSD''s Compost Give-Away 2008

(3/7/08)

Castro Valley Sanitary District is pleased to announce that more Castro Valley residents recycle food scraps than ever before! A recent audit found that 37% of households recycle food scraps in the green yard waste cart; that’s an increase of nearly 15% since 2005. As a way to say “thank you,” the District will host a Compost Give-Away through March.

How Do I Participate?

Grab your Compost Voucher from your February Waste Management bill. If you do not receive a bill (you rent or live in an apartment/condo), pick-up a Compost Voucher from Castro Valley Sanitary District, 21040 Marshall Street, Castro Valley, CA 94546. Present your Compost Voucher at one of the following locations for your free bag of Wonder Grow compost (made from Castro Valley’s food scraps and yard waste).

ONE DAY ONLY:
Saturday, March 22nd
8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Castro Valley Adult School (Seven Hills Road parking lot)

THROUGH MARCH:
Pete’s ACE Hardware
2569 Castro Valley Boulevard - (510) 581-7633

Workbench True Value Hardware
19640 Center Street - (510) 538-5454

For more information, visit www.cvsan.org
or contact (510) 537-0757.
Note: One bag per household. CVSD residents only. Bag weighs approximately 25 lbs. Vehicle loading assistance available.

Residents Rewarded for Recycling Food Scraps

(2/29/08)

In April 2007, Castro Valley Sanitary District implemented an innovative program, called Fast Cash for Food Scraps, to reward randomly-selected households for recycling food scraps. The District is pleased to report that nearly $8,000 was awarded in cash, prizes and free solid waste services to 65 Castro Valley households during the 10-month program. Congratulations to the 65 lucky winners and thanks to all who participated!

While the Fast Cash for Food Scraps program is now concluded, Castro Valley residents continue to recycle food scraps. In fact, more residents are participating than ever before. A recent audit found that 37% of households recycle food scraps and food-soiled paper in the green yard waste cart; that’s an increase of nearly 15% since 2005! Keep up the good work in helping make Castro Valley a healthier, more sustainable place to live!

As a way to say “thank you,” Castro Valley Sanitary District will continue the tradition of distributing bagged compost (made from your food scraps and yard waste) at the 2008 Compost Give-Away, which will be held through March. Be sure to grab your Compost Voucher in your Waste Management bill. For more information, see the ad in this week’s Forum, visit www.cvsan.org or call 510-537-0757.

Congratulations Fast Cash for Food Scrap Winners:
*These winners also won 1 year of free solid waste (garbage, recycling & greenwaste) services.

April:
Mariano & Cecilia Magtayo
Carol & Whitt Jarvis
Mike & Lavonne Evans
Joseph Murdach
Burton Rigley
Youness Hadizadeh
Larry & Ann Mathews

May:
Alice Gaughan
Jaedong Shin
K.C. & Susan O’Keith
Paul & Marsha Alessi
Tim & Diane Dutra
Tony & Jenny Lasalle*
Randy & Theresa Branaugh
Kunio, Patti & Akemi Okui

June:
Joseph & Bonnie Prioste
Lyle & Linda Crater
Daniel Lee
Roger & Judy Grubb
Jose, Pacita & Jennifer Jiao
Raul & Colleen Valadao*
Arcadian Drive Resident
Kildare Road Resident

July: (no audit due to Labor Dispute)

August:
Tom & Tammy West
Norman Woo
Mark Tanaka
Mayra Rose
Lawrence Brown

September (2 audits in September):
Anthony & Geraldine Anderson
Paul Ishakawa
Brian Ly
Daryl & Esther Robinson
Betlen Way Resident
Ruby Street Resident
Donald & Marianne Cerelli
Richard Cowell
Wes & Tricia Feucht
Jay Labrado*
The Luchsinger Family
Carl & Cora Owens
David & Ronna Promani
The Olvera Family
Crane Avenue Resident

October:
The Helm Family
The Kelly Family
Richard MacDonald
The Poerink Family
The Ryan Family
Christopher Wong
Robert Cryer
Claire Thoni*
John & Anne Van Tatenhove
Parsons Avenue Resident

November:
James & Barbara Garcia
Peter Kelley
David & Karen McBrayer
The Nicholson Family
Lydia Rosa
Kenneth & Joy Vail
Dominic Drive Resident

December:
Larry Ucovich
Little Sunshine Learning Center
Laurie Pfohl

January:
The Yoshida Family*
The McNeill Family

President''s Day Holiday

(2/6/08)

Castro Valley Sanitary District offices will be closed Monday, February 18, 2008 in observance of the holiday. Please call (510) 537-0757 with questions or for sewer emergencies.

Waste Management of Alameda County services will be on schedule the week of February 18th. Please call WMAC at (510) 537-5500 with solid waste services questions.

Newsrack Consolidation Along C.V. Blvd.

(1/31/08)

Have you noticed uniform-looking pedestals holding newsracks along Castro Valley Blvd. and Redwood Road?

Castro Valley Sanitary District is pleased to report that $2,000 in Community Development Project Grant funding, awarded by the District November 2005, made possible the installation of pedestals along Castro Valley Blvd. and Redwood Road by ANG Newspapers and The San Francisco Chronicle.

All parties involved are pleased with the collaboration between resident Carl Owens, Castro Valley Sanitary District, Castro Valley Redevelopment Community Advisory Committee, Supervisor Nate Miley, Alameda County Community Development Agency, and vendors utilizing the racks.

Pedestals are to be installed at eight (8) locations, will accommodate fifty-two (52) news racks, and all existing racks on public right-of-way will be removed. In the future, no additional racks may be placed on public right-of way within the project area.

Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

(1/15/08)

Castro Valley Sanitary District offices will be closed Monday, January 21, 2008 in observance of the holiday. Please call (510) 537-0757 with questions or for sewer emergencies.

Waste Management of Alameda County services will be on schedule the week of January 21st. Please call WMAC at (510) 537-5500 with solid waste services questions.