 | GET A GREAT DEAL ON RAIN BARRELS - SUPPLIES LIMITED!
by Christine Wied
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A rain barrel discount program for City of Ventura residents is now available through Environmental Sustainability and Ventura Water. Working in cooperation with Smith Pipe and Supply at 3060 Sherwin Avenue in Ventura, the Channel/Bushman 60-gallon rain barrel with a retail value of $85.oo will be available for $42.oo plus tax at their store with a Rain Barrel Discount Voucher. Discount on up to two units per customer or residential address.
READ MORE.
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Green Business Certification
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Become a State Certified
Green Business
The Green Business Certification Program is currently available to office/retail and restaurant businesses within the City of Ventura, but other sectors will be added as the program gains traction. Although the certification requirements differ for each sector, the main environmental categories are waste, energy, water, pollution prevention, wastewater, and general staff education.
to set up your FREE consultation.
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Commercial Business Recycling It's THE LAW
as of
July 1, 2012
What every Ventura Business Needs to know!
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Conserving our natural resources is essential for the health and wellbeing of our community and our planet.
In keeping with this sentiment, beginning July 1, 2012, the State of California has made business recycling mandatory. According to the newly enacted legislation (AB341), businesses that generate 4 cubic yards or more of trash per week (the equivalent of a large commercial dumpster) and all multifamily complexes with five or more units (regardless of the amount of trash they generate), will be required to recycle.
Compliance is determined by solid waste service capacity. Businesses that share trash service accumulating the 4 cubic yards or more of trash per week must comply even if individually, the businesses do not generate that amount of trash. READ MORE.
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What Can YOU Do To Help Preserve Ventura's Environment?
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A Zero Waste Program
to reduce unwanted
mail & phone books
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Did you know that 11 billion pounds of mail was delivered in the US in 2008? That equals 900 pieces (100 lbs) for every household. Out of that amount, only 40% is recycled.
Over 660,000 tons of phone books enter the waste stream annually. Only 20% get recycled. Nearly 70% of adults in the U.S. "rarely or never" use the phone book.
If you are tired of getting tons of junk mail in your mailbox and would like to save trees, reduce the waste that goes into our landfills and care about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, there is a way you can make a difference.
Join along with the City of Ventura's Environmental Sustainability Division and sign up with Catalog Choice to opt-out of getting junk mail deliveries to your home and business.
Catalog Choice is the largest independent mail preference registry in the United States. When you sign up, it's FREE and you get to opt-out of receiving all forms of advertising mail and unwanted phone book deliveries. The great thing about Catalog Choice is that with a database of more than 5,500 titles (and increasing daily) that you choose what you want to opt-out of receiving.
Under the Fair Information Practice (FTC), your information will also be kept private and be protected.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN!
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Stormwater:
Best Management Practices
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What is an illicit discharge?
It's any activity or event that results in a release, flow, spill, escape or disposal of any material OTHER THAN RAINWATER (including liquids and solids) into the storm drain system.
 CARPET CLEANING:
DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE WATER GOES?
Disposing of cleaning solutions or soapy water into or near gutters and storm drains can harm or kill wildlife even if it's labeled "nontoxic" or "biodegradable." Waste water needs to be treated at a wastewater treatment plant. Indoor drains like sinks and toilets, drain to the sanitary sewer system which carries wastewater to treatment plants where pollutants are removed.
HOW TO DISPOSE OF WASTE
*Haul waste to a dump site approved by wastewater authority
OR
*For carpet cleaning services: Dump with customer's consent into a sanitary sewer through the sinks, toilets, washing machine drains or floor drains at the job site.
NOTE: Unless you are using a disposal site with a grit trap, always strain the debris from the carpet cleaning wastewater. Debris can clog drains. Debris collected can be disposed of as trash.
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GREEN TIP OF THE MONTH
From the United States Environmental Protection Agency
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As the temperatures begin to drop for winter, a great way to SAVE $$$ and lower your utility bills is to maintain your heating equipment in your home and business.
Maintaining the efficiency of your home's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on your utility bills. Dirt and neglect can impact the efficiency of your HVAC system and are some of the top causes of heating system failure.
Schedule an HVAC checkup with a licensed HVAC contractor to make sure your system is operating at peak performance. Also, check your system's air filter every month and change it when it's dirty or at a minimum, every three months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool - wasting energy.
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Ventura's Natural Beauty
Let's keep it that way!
November 2012
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AND THE WINNER IS...Ventura Charter School of Global Arts and Education wins Green School Award for 2012
By Christine Wied
The Environmental Sustainability Division  of the City of Ventura is pleased to announce Ventura Charter School of Arts and Global Education as our sixth annual Green School Award winner for 2012. The award given in partnership with Agromin Premium Soil Products goes to a city public or private school that demonstrates exemplary efforts in helping our environment. "Ventura Charter has been a prime example of this by what they do every day" said Christine Wied, Environmental Specialist with the city who oversees the award process. Students, staff and custodian all work together to insure materials end up in the proper containers. Recycling is only the beginning of their efforts. The school works with the parents and students on nutritious but low waste lunches providing resources for "green" lunch boxes and bags. When they have events on campus, the policy is to incorporate "zero" waste and recycling into the plans. For example if food is served at school events, parents bring their own tableware to eliminate disposables.
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ANDRIA'S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & MARKET: A Ventura Tradition makes its mark with a sustainable business approach
By Maryann Ridini Spencer
 Andria's Seafood Restaurant & Market, Ventura Harbor Village
On May 13, 1982, when Michael J. Wagner, then owner and operator of Seafood Specialties, a wholesale seafood processor and distributor out of Santa Barbara, opened Andria's Seafood Restaurant and Market in the Ventura Harbor, it became the first business to open its doors in the village area. Little did he know at the time what a popular attraction his venue would become. READ MORE.
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ENVIRNOMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS: Nominate Your Business  Every year, the City of Ventura Environmental Sustainability Division works with the Ventura Chamber of Commerce to identify a business that is integrating environmental concerns into their business practices and philosophy. Nominate your business by the deadline: November, 15, 2012. 2012 Environmental Excellence Award Nomination  Forms are now available. All City of Ventura businesses are encouraged to participate in either nominating another business, or themselves. For any questions, call Courtney Lindberg at 805-667-6502 or email her at: clindberg@cityofventura.net. For more information, and to nominate your business get the PDF form, CLICK HERE. For information on becoming a Certified Green Business, Contact: Courtney Lindberg, (805) 667-6502 or email, clindberg@cityofventura.net.
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LIVIN' GREEN FOR THANKGIVING: 10 Green Thanksgiving Ideas
Thanksgiving marks the true beginning of the holiday eating and gift-giving season. Here are 10 great tips to keep green and sustainable!
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SLOW IT. SPREAD IT. SINK IT.Helping Nature to Help Ourselves with Bioswales
By Maryann Ridini Spencer
Urbanization of towns and cities has caused many of the natural, grassy, open air landscapes to become "gray scapes" - areas with lots of concrete, paved parkways, sidewalks and parking lots and other hard-surface areas.
In urban settings, when it rains, water flows from the sky  on to hard, impermeable surfaces. In this type of an environment, flowing water collects all the sediments, litter and pollutants that, because of the concrete, isn't able to filter naturally into the ground. Subsequently, this rain or urban runoff, carries the debris into our oceans, rivers and beaches causing our primary source of water pollution.
In an effort to offset the problems arising from urban runoff, the City of Ventura has constructed a series of man-made bioswales (naturally engineered and designed systems that mimic nature's wetlands), throughout key locations in Ventura. READ MORE.
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THIS MONTH ON THE Sustainable Ventura TV SERIES 
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This month's Sustainable Ventura TV show takes a look at Ventura Water's Water Supply - where our drinking water comes from, what's in our water, how it is treated, why it tastes the way it does and certain water challenges impacting Ventura. The show talks with Omar Castro, Water Utility Manager, Luis Coccillos, Water Treatment Operator 3, Ventura residents and presents a short history of Ventura Water as well as a segment on tips on keeping our water safe and clean.   Sustainable Ventura airs on Caps-TV VTV's Channel 15, Thursdays at 8:30pm. It rebroadcasts Monday-Thursday and Saturdays at 9:00am, Sundays at 8:30pm and every other Wednesday at 8:30pm. LIKE US on Facebook, CLICK HERE!WATCH & SUBSCRIBE TO US ON YouTube, CLICK on the icon below! |
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NEWS Highlights from October 2012
| October 13 - StoryFest
 The Environmental Sustainability Division and Ventura Water shared a booth (pictured left) at this year's StoryFest. The FREE event open to the public was sponsored by The Ventura Education Partnership with the Ventura Neighborhood for Learning to help young children under the age of six with school readiness. In the City booths, children and their families learned about recycling practices, water conservation and more!
October 20 - "Treasure of San Buenaventura" wins THE WAVE AWARD in three categories
 Filming "Treasure of San Buenaventura" at Olivas Adobe
On Saturday, October 20, 2012, The WAVE AWARDS were held in Sacramento as part of the 2012 AMC Western Regional Conference. "The Treasure of San Buenaventura" won in these categories: Category: Community Issues, Community Producer Category: Informational/Lifestyle, Community Producer Category: Educational Access, Community Producer The project touches upon the important environmental issues and programs encouraging the citizens of Ventura back in the old west of the 1880's to be more sustainable in their daily practices in order to protect future generations. City of Ventura's Ray Olson, Manager of the Environmental Sustainability Division wrote and produced.
Listen to the Podcast about the making of "The Treasure of San Buenaventura" with Ray Olson, CLICK HERE.October 20 - Household Hazardous Waste Event
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Every third Saturday of the month (except in December), the City hosts Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Events at Gold Coast Recycling. Appointments are required. To make an appointment, call (805) 652-4525, Monday-Thursday between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm. Also visit:
October 25 -Haunting at the Harbor Business Expo
 Left to Right: Environmental Specialists Christine Wied and Courtney Lindberg in the Environmental Sustainability booth at the "Haunting of the Harbor" Business Expo
Ventura Chamber of Commerce presented "Haunting at the Harbor" Business Tabletop Expo on October 25 from 4:30-7:30pm, where over 67 local businesses and organizations had exhibitor booths. The event, held at the Four Points Sheraton on Schooner Drive, was open to the public for a $10 admission.
 | "Haunting at the Harbor" Business Expo 2012 "Sustainable Ventura" TV Series
video segment |
October 27 -FREE Composting Workshop at Green Thumb Nursery
Educator Paul Vaksvik speaks at the Compost Workshop
Composting is nature's way of recycling organic matter back into nutrients for our soil. Using compost in the yard and garden reduces the need for commercial fertilizers, pesticides and water.
On October 27, the Environmental Sustainability Division hosted a FREE Composting Workshop at Green Thumb Nursery, 1899 S. Victoria Avenue from 10:00am-Noon. There were over 70 attendees that got to learn everything they wanted to know about composting, vermiculture and composting with worms. The City's Paul Vaksvik spoke about composting techniques. Malibu Compost's Randy Ritchie also spoke about his organic compost processing business and shared ideas for home composting.
Green Thumb POP Displays  If you happen to be wandering down the isles at Green Thumb Nursery at 1899 Victoria
Avenue, take notice of the "Less Toxic Pest Management" tags (for ants, snails and weeds), that direct consumers to more eco-friendly choices for their home, lawn and garden maintenance.
 LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE to Sustainable Ventura Podcasts on iTunes. CLICK HERE!
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Environmental Sustainability
is
Everyone's Responsibility!
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