Baltimore County recycling turns a profit

The new recycling facility in north Baltimore County earned $750k in just four months this year!

Learn more here:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/cockeysville/ph-tt-recycling-center-0402-20140328,0,6113523.story

Want to join a monthly tour?  Contact a Public Works Public Information Specialist using the email listed at the end of the Baltimore Sun article linked above.

But what about Styrofoam?

What is Styrofoam exactly, and why can't you recycle it in Baltimore county?  Read on for an excerpt from the county recycling newsletter that answers this FAQ...

"...Savvy residents are already aware of the materials accepted, and not accepted, in Baltimore County’s single stream program. However, even the most avid recycler may not realize why certain types of materials are not accepted. In this issue of The REsource, we will address some questions concerning expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam. This material is often generically referred to as “Styrofoam™.” However, the trademarked brand name actually references a different type of polystyrene that is extruded (pressed through a die to form a desired shape), not expanded. Neither form of polystyrene is accepted for recycling in Baltimore County.

EPS is a form of polystyrene plastic that can be used for numerous purposes, including packing material, food and beverage containers, and building insulation. Many manufacturers favor EPS as a material due to its low weight, rigid structure, and formability. However, these same properties also make EPS very difficult to recycle.

Because EPS is composed of 98 percent air, and thus extremely light for its volume, this material is not economical to collect and transport. In addition, EPS used to store and serve food is usually contaminated, and requires cleaning before it can be processed for recycling – a step that would incur additional costs. There are some jurisdictions in the United States with EPS recycling programs; however, these programs typically are limited to collection at drop-off centers (not curbside) and have strict limitations on the types of EPS accepted. For example, a program that accepts EPS food containers for recycling may not accept EPS packing “peanuts.”

Though Baltimore County does not accept EPS for recycling, there are still some ways to reduce the amount of this material that ends up in our landfill. Many packaging service stores, such as The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc., will accept EPS packing “peanuts” for reuse. In addition, EPS Industry Alliance in Crofton, Maryland will accept clean, white EPS packaging materials for reuse or recycling – visit epsindustry.org for details."

Energy metabolism: The Very Hungry City

Today's interview with author Austin Troy about his book The Very Hungry City... on WYPR today:

"How will Baltimore fare in the future as the global demand for energy grows and prices rise? Austin Troy, an expert in urban environmental management at the University of Vermont, looks at cities with "high energy metabolisms" and what they need to do about the problems of energy consumption. Troy is the author of The Very Hungry City: Will Your City Thrive or Wither in and Energy-Strapped Future?"
http://www.wypr.org/podcast/thursday-march-29-1-2-pm-very-hungry-city

This author mentioned a strong statistical correlation between trees and crime:  the numbers show that neighborhoods with more trees experience lower crime rates.  So... go plant trees!

Also:  people who live in places with extensive bicycle infrastructure are happier about where they live.  Copenhagen and the Nordic countries were mentioned in this context.

Green events in March

Spring is coming:  shake off the bleak midwinter blues and check out these local events...

DC Environmental Film Festival, March 13-25 http://www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org/

National Facilities Management and Technology conference, March 13-15 http://www.nfmt.com/baltimore/ 

Eco-ball, March 16, sponsored by Baltimore Green Works http://baltimoregreenworks.com/ecoball/

Earth Hour, March 31 www.EarthHour.org 

View more coming events like these here:  http://greeneventsbaltimore.com/ 

Paying it forward with recycling in Baltimore County

Baltimore County has authorized $25 million to upgrade the recycling facilities in Cockeysville.

Apparently, since the county switched to single-stream recycling in February 2010, recycling has been shipped elsewhere for processing because county facilities could only handle dual-stream.  This new funding will pay for transitioning the Cockeysville facility to single-stream, and build a new garbage transfer station as well.

According to sources at the solid waste management bureau, this transition will ultimately save the county money:

Trash disposal cost = $56 to $58 per ton
Recycling revenue = $100 to $105 per ton, depending on materials

Read the full article here:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/baltimorecounty/news/ph-tt-recycling-center-1109-20111107,0,6895904.story

Fire In The Wind: book signing tonight at Inner Harbor

Local author and Delegate Dana Stein to discuss his book Fire In The Wind tonight at Barnes & Noble Inner Harbor tonight 6-8pm, sponsored by Maryland's US Green Building Council chapter.






Dana Stein, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, will appear at the Barnes & Noble Power Plant on Thursday, October 13 from 6 pm to 8 pm, for readings and discussion of his novel Fire In The Wind.


The book signing is being sponsored by the Maryland Chapter of the United States Green Building Council as part of its Local Author Series. The book store is located at 601 E. Pratt Street in Baltimore City.

Set in the year 2036, this short novel describes the efforts of the United States to deal with the negative effects of climate change, including coastal flooding, the loss of farmland and the uprooting of families. The central characters of the fictional piece involve a displaced farmer, a member of the National Security Council and a college professor.

More information on the book is available at http://www.fireinthewind.com/

Stein is the Executive Director and founder of Civic Works and sits on the Environmental Matters Committee of the House of Delegates.

The Maryland Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council is comprised of local businesses, organizations and individuals that offer educational programs and organize lobbying efforts to advance the development and operation of sustainable and environmentally-conscious office and industrial buildings, retail centers and related structures.

Trashing Baltimore's Inner Harbor

Anybody ever wonder what became of the water wheel trash collector at Baltimore's Inner Harbor?  Me too:  here's the scoop...
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/green/2011/09/trash_collector_trashed.html

Baltimore Farmers Market roundup

Tis the season for farmers markets!  And this year it seems there are more than ever, on any day of the week.

See listings by county here:

http://www.mda.state.md.us/md_products/farmers_market_dir.php#baltcity

Here are the markets closest to Towson, arranged by weekday:

Saturday
32nd Street/Waverly
Green Spring Station
Go Life / Cylburn
Baltimore Museum of Industry
Fells point

Sunday
Baltimore City (under the JFX)

Tuesday
Lauraville
Village of Cross Keys
Kenilworth

Wednesday
Mt. Washington Whole Foods Market
Govanstowne
Baltimore County at MD State Fairgrounds
Druid Hill
State Center Community

Thursday
Towson
Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Highlandtown

Friday
Charles Street Friday Market
Farmers' Market at the Avenue at White Marsh


Get out and support your local farmers!

JH-U-Turn community yard sale this Saturday

JH-U-TURN Community Yard Sale


Pick up second-hand items for a reduced price!

June 11; 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

O’Connor Rec Center, Gym; Homewood Field

Come check out second-hand items from students at a reduced price! Items include clothing, furniture, books, electronics, and household items. In keeping with Hopkins’ mission of demonstrating smart, sensible, and creative actions promoting sustainability and community strengthening, JH-U-Turn is designed to help reduce waste and support a great cause.

Visit http://web.jhu.edu/liaison/UTurn.html for more information.

Another rain barrel & compost bin sale

Lots of local organizations are offering discounts on rain barrels and compost bins this season!

This week's Towson Times paper included a flyer for a sale Saturday May 14th from 8am to 2pm at the Towson United Methodist Church, which is located right off the beltway at the Dulaney Valley Road exit (501 Hampton Lane, Towson).

Systern Rain barrels for $59.99 and Earth Machine composters for $49.99

Other groups hosting sales you may want to check out...
Blue Water Baltimore native plant sales on May 21, June 5 & 11 http://bluewaterbaltimore.org/
Oregon Ridge Nature Center:  native plant sale this Saturday http://www.oregonridge.org/

May is Bike month

Bike month is coming!  http://www.bikebaltimore.org/bike-month-is-coming/

Baltimore bike planner Nate Evans and his minions are hard at work planning cycling events for the entire month of May:  Kinetic Sculpture Race, Bike To Work Day, Bike Jam... check out his blog here and join the contest to see who can attend the most events!

http://www.bikebaltimore.org/

Baltimore City Landscape Manual

Announcement from the Baltimore City office of Sustainability:

Please join us for a brief presentation and discussion of the Draft Baltimore City Landscape Manual

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 6:00 PM
Department of Planning
417 East Fayette Street, 8th floor


As part of the citywide zoning update, a Draft Landscape Manual is being developed. The Landscape Manual creates landscaping and screening standards for new development and redevelopment within the city, to promote attractive development, protect property values, and provide environmental benefits.



The Draft Landscape Manual can be downloaded from the Baltimore City Planning Department website: http://baltimorecity.gov/Government/AgenciesDepartments/Planning.aspx



For questions, email amy.gilder-busatti@baltimorecity.gov  or call 410-396-PLAN.

Help plan a Baltimore cohousing community

Sharing the following announcement on behalf of a friend... you can contact her via the links below.

What is Cohousing? A residential community owned, managed, and planned by people who seek a balance between private life and community life.


Who are we? A group of Baltimore area people seeking to form a cohousing community that is:
• Ecologically sensitive and sustainable
• Intergenerational
• Embracing of diversity

Where is it?  Only in our dreams, so far!  Please join us to explore cohousing and the process of planning a new community.

Saturday, January 29, 2011 - Baltimore Cohousing Organizing Meeting - 3:30 to 5 pm - Baltimore, MD


Please join us at the Ruscombe Mansion, 4801/4803 Yellowwood Ave, Baltimore, MD 21209.
Directions: www.ruscombe.org/directionstoruscombe.html.
For more information on cohousing, see http://www.cohousing.org/  and http://www.cohousingcollaborative.com/ .
To RSVP to the meeting, email rebeccalachen@gmail.com

Buy local this holiday season

Don't forget to patronize your small, locally-owned businesses as you shop for the holidays!

The Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance website is searchable by category or neighborhood, and with a $10 member card you're eligible for the specials mentioned on the "merchant discounts" page.

Personally, I use this guide to plan out my shopping attack on Hampden:  you can park anywhere along the Avenue (36th street, that is) and walk to about 17 of these locally-owned stores.  Much better than driving between big box stores or fighting crowds at the mall!

Baltimore farmers market days and locations

From the Johns Hopkins University's sustainability listserv, here's a list of farmers markets in the Baltimore area.  You can subscribe to this listerv here: https://lists.johnshopkins.edu/sympa/info/sustainable_hopkins

Or contact the authors at:

The Johns Hopkins Sustainability Office

3001 Remington Ave

Baltimore, MD 21211

410-516-8060

www.sustainability.jhu.edu 

Our Mission:  To make Johns Hopkins University a showpiece of environmental leadership by demonstrating smart, sensible and creative actions that promote the vision of sustainability.

The farmers markets, by day:

Baltimore City Farmers’ Markets: Eat Sustainably!

Sunday Markets:

Baltimore Farmers' Market

Dates/Time: 8:00am- 12:00pmNoon (May 2 - December 19)
Location: Saratoga Street between Holliday and Gay Streets

Tuesday Markets:

Village of Cross Keys Farmers' Market
Dates/Time: 10:00am- 2:00pm (June 1 - October 26)

Location: 5100 Falls Road, Parking Lot

University Farmers' Market

Dates/Times: 10:30am- 2:30pm (May 11 - November 23)

Location: Plaza Park, Paca Street

Wednesday Markets:

Park Heights Community Farmers' Market
Dates/Time: 9:30am- 2:30pm (June 2 - November 24)

Location: 5201 Park Heights Avenue (Pimlico Race Course Parking Lot)

State Center Community Farmers' Market
Dates/Time: 10:00am- 2:00pm (June 2 - October 27)

Location: 201 West Preston Street

Mt. Washington Whole Foods Market Farmers' Market
Dates/Time: 4:00pm- 6:30pm (June 9 - November 17)
Location: 5800 Cottonworth Avenue

Thursday Markets:

John Hopkins Hospital Farmers' Market
Dates/Time: 10:00am- 2:00pm (May 6 – November)
Location: Jefferson Street pathway near Cancer Research Buildings

Saturday Markets:

32nd Street/Waverly Farmers' Market
Dates/Time: 7:00am- 12:00pm (All Year)

Location: 400 block of E. 32nd Street

Howard Park Community Farmers' Market
Dates/Time: 7:30am- 3:00pm (May 22 - December 18)
Location: 4700 Block of Liberty Heights Ave

Highlandtown Farmers' Market
Date/Time: 8:00am- 12:00pm (July 10 - October 9)
Location: The corner of Bank St. and S. Conkling St.

Baltimore Museum of Industry (BMI) Farmers' Market
Dates/Time: 9:00am- 1:00pm (June 5 - September 25)
Location: 1415 Key Highway

Drafts from the archives...

Wow, long time no blog!  I've been traveling so much this summer there hasn't been much time to write.  Just in case anybody is still reading this, I give you a spring cleaning of my previously unpublished blog post archives for now...

How to build an insulating attic stair box (January 2010)
Spring green events to watch for every year (April 2010)
Garden updates (May 2010)
Locavore dining in Baltimore (May 2010)

Getting taken to the cleaners

Dry-cleaning is one of my pet peeves.  It's expensive, produces a pile of wire hangers (which can be returned) and plastic bags (which can't be returned), and the chemicals are nasty.  Now that I've been doing life cycle assessments and ROI studies at work, I detest dry-clean-only clothes even more:  considering that a $100 suit will cost you $10 per cleaning for the rest of its life, is that really such a good deal?

Diatribe over.  Awhile back I blogged about green dry-cleaners; since then I've discovered organic cleaning at Belvedere Dry Cleaners at 6306 York Road near Rodgers Forge.  They're fast, reliable, and they also do alterations.

But what got me thinking about dry-cleaning today was this NYTimes article about the Green Garmento:  a reusable dry-cleaning bag.  It will take a sea change in dry-cleaning protocol for this to succeed, but I really hope this type of thing becomes the norm.  Check it out, and ask your dry-cleaner to do the same!

Local farm-to-table dining spots

Here's an Urbanite article about where to eat local in Baltimore:
http://www.urbanitebaltimore.com/sub.cfm?issueID=84&sectionID=4&articleID=1515
as written by the author of this blog http://baltivore.blogspot.com/

A few of the restaurants mentioned...
Atwater's
Joe Squared
Chameleon Cafe
Donna's
Woodberry Kitchen
Dogwood Deli

I also read an article in the Sun supplement about several Baltimore restaurants that are growing produce on their rooftops:  can't get much more locavore than that!

Spring green event roundup

Lots of green events every spring in Baltimore... watch for these and similar events next year too:

This Saturday is the Baltimore County compost bin and rain barrel sale:  take advantage of the great discounts!  http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/News/releases/0420barrellbinsale.html

Check the Baltimore Green Works event calendar http://baltimoregreenworks.com/events/calendar/

Herring Run Watershed Association http://baywatersheds.org/ native plant sales, rain barrel workshops, etc.

Our local chapter of the US Green Building Council (USGBC) http://www.usgbcbalt.org/

Feeling the urge to bike around Baltimore?  Here's a map of bike lanes and trails from CityPaper... 

http://www.citypaper.com/news/bikes/map.asp

Beware snowy roof collapse!

 

Here's my engineering public service announcement for this week:  mind your roof!

There's over three feet of snow on the ground here in Baltimore, and at least that much on any flat-roof structures in the area.  Remember that the B+O Railroad museum roof collapsed several years ago under even less snow.  Check the guidelines below for advice about avoiding roof collapse from snow and ice loads.

Snow loading roof collapse

Snow ice accumulation on roofs

Disclaimer:  this post should not be used as a substitute for professional engineering advice. This blogger assumes no liability for any damages or loss of any kind that might arise from the use of, misuse of, or the inability to use this information.