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WE ARE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY? ALL RIGHT.
I'M DIRECTOR OF, UM, ADMINISTRATION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SOLID WASTE.
UH, THIS IS AN EXCITING PARTNERSHIP.
I'VE GOT, I'M JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, UH, THIS MORNING OR THIS AFTERNOON, UH, WE JUST WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR FOOD WASTE, UH, PROGRAM THAT WE'VE GOT STARTED JUST THIS WEEK.
WE KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF RAIN, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UH, HOUSTONIANS TO PARTICIPATE.
UH, WE DO WANNA THANK, UH, AGAIN, COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR BEING HERE.
ZERO WASTE IS OUR, IS OUR PARTNER IN THIS INITIATIVE.
AND, UH, THEY'LL BE AT FOUR LOCATIONS ACROSS THE CITY.
THIS IS GONNA BE A SIX WEEK PERIOD.
IT ENDS ON FEBRUARY 29TH, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS BEYOND THIS.
SO WE'RE REALLY HOPING TO, TO GAIN PARTICIPATION, TO BUILD, UH, JUST MORE OF A FOUNDATION OF, OF COMPOSTING, UH, YOU KNOW, BRING IN YOUR FOOD SCRAPS TO, TO THESE LOCATIONS.
AND I WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS TO I SEE SALLY FROM OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UH, A MULTI-SERVICE CENTERS THAT ARE GONNA BE THE LOCATIONS OF ALL THE COLLECTIONS FOR FOOD WASTE.
THE LOCATIONS ARE ACRES, HOMES, SUNNYSIDE, CASHIER, GARDENS, AND ALE.
THESE LOCATIONS ARE, UH, LOCATIONS WITHIN OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES.
WE ARE PROUD TO BRING THEM THERE.
WE'RE PROUD TO BRING MORE ACCESS TO THESE LOCATIONS, TO THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, WE ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS TO START COLLECTING, START COLLECTING YOUR FOOD SCRAPS.
UH, WE'VE GOT, WE'RE GONNA BE COLLECTING THEIR WEEKLY, SO WE ASK THAT YOU, UH, COME TO HOUSTON SOLID WASTE.ORG TO GET MORE INFORMATION.
UH, YOU CAN BRING FRUITS, VEGETABLES, NEWSPAPERS, FLOWERS, COFFEE FILTERS.
WE'VE GOT A WHOLE LIST OF ACCEPTABLE ITEMS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE COLLECTING AT THIS LOCATION, AT THESE LOCATIONS.
UH, YOU CAN STORE YOUR FOOD FOR THE WHOLE WEEK AND COME ONCE A WEEK TO THE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS.
IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE 22% OF OUR FOOD WASTE IS GOING INTO OUR LANDFILLS RIGHT NOW.
SO WE ASK THAT YOU HELP US DIVERT THOSE THAT, THAT WASTE HELP US, UH, YOU KNOW, PUSH THIS INITIATIVE FORWARD AND LET US CATCH UP TO OTHER CITIES WITHIN TEXAS.
THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE CITY'S GOAL OF REDUCING WASTE AND DIVERTING THIS PROGRAM IS OPEN TO ALL HOUSTONIANS AT ALL FOUR LOCATIONS.
AGAIN, PLEASE VISIT, VISIT US@HOUSTONRECYCLES.ORG FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION.
I'VE GOTTA INTRODUCE, UH, OUR COMPOSTING CHAMPION, SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN OUR CHEERLEADER IN THIS INITIATIVE.
AND I WANNA THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, 'CAUSE SHE ALWAYS KEEPS US AHEAD OF THE GAME AS IT RELATES TO THESE COMPOSTING INITIATIVES.
COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU SO MUCH VERONICA, AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE.
I, I AM EXCITED ABOUT COMPOSTING.
COMPOSTING IS, HAS BEEN A BIG INITIATIVE OF MINE.
I KNOW A LOT OF HOUSTONIANS ARE JUST LEARNING ABOUT THIS.
AND NO, I DON'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO GO IN YOUR BACKYARD AND COMPOST.
I MEAN, YOU CAN DO THAT IF YOU WANT TO.
WE JUST WANT YOU TO DIVERT YOUR FOOD WASTE.
WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE LESS TRASH HERE, RIGHT? SO IF YOU DIVERT YOUR FOOD WASTE, IF YOU SEPARATE YOUR FOOD WASTE AND YOU ALSO RECYCLE, YOU'LL FIND OUT THAT YOU HAVE VERY LITTLE TRASH THAT GOES TO THE LANDFILL.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU'RE LIKE WONDERING, OH, YOU KNOW, FOOD DECOMPOSES, WHAT DO I CARE? I CAN SEND IT TO THE LANDFILL.
IT DOESN'T, IT'S TRAPPED UNDER THERE AND THERE'S NO AIR UNDER THERE IN THE LANDFILL.
AND, AND 24% OF MUNICIPAL LANDFILLS ARE FOOD WASTE.
SO IT, IT PRODUCES THESE GREEN GREENHOUSE GASES.
IT'S A REAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM.
AND YOU MIGHT THINK, WELL, OKAY, LET'S JUST, LET'S JUST PUT THE FOOD WASTE DOWN THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL.
SO I ASKED PUBLIC WORKS LIKE, IS THAT A GOOD IDEA? AND THEY HAVE A WHOLE PROTECT YOUR PIPES, UM, UM, CAMPAIGN.
AND SO BY COMPOSTING, YOU NOT ONLY REDUCE THE LOAD ON YOUR PLUMBING SYSTEM, BUT ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO AN ECO FRIENDLIER WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PROMOTING BOTH PERSONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL WELLBEING.
IT'S AN ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS WAY TO MANAGE FOOD WASTE SUPPORTED BY INITIATIVES LIKE PROTECT YOUR PIPES, PUTTING FOOD SCRAPS DOWN YOUR SINK OR USING THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL CAN CONTRIBUTE TO BLOCKAGES AND LEAKS IN YOUR PLUMBING.
ESPECIALLY WHEN FOOD PARTICLES CONTAINING FATS, OILS AND GREASES ARE INVOLVED.
AND MANY FOODS NATURALLY CONTAIN THESE SUBSTANCES, WHICH CAN ADHERE TO THE
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INSIDE OF PIPES AND ACCUMULATE OVER TIME.AND THEN WE'VE GOTTA GO CLEAN 'EM OUT, AND THEN THEY CAUSE ALL THESE PROBLEMS WITH OUR, WITH OUR PIPES.
SO BASICALLY, THE LANDFILL GIVES ME A LOT OF ANXIETY.
UM, UH, CONTAMINATION OF OUR PIPES GIVES ME ANXIETY.
IT'S SUCH AN EASY THING TO DO TO JUST REMOVE YOUR F FOOD SCRAPS FROM THE TABLE, PUT 'EM IN A BAG.
IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE SMELL, DO LIKE WHAT I DO? PUT IT IN THE FREEZER, PUT THE BAG IN THE FREEZER, AND THEN ONCE A WEEK, I, I CONTRACT WITH A COMPANY TO COME CURBSIDE AND PICK MINE UP.
SO EVERY FRIDAY I PUT MINE OUT.
BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND A DIME.
ZERO WASTE IS HELPING US OUT FOR THIS, ON THIS FOR FREE.
SO YOU CAN JUST TAKE IT TO ONE OF THESE, THESE FOUR LOCATIONS.
AND, UM, I THINK SHE'S ALREADY LISTED THEM, BUT IT'S, UH, CASHMERE GARDENS, ACRES HOMES, MULTI-SERVICE HAS AILEY MULTI-SERVICE CENTER AND SUNNYSIDE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
YOU CAN JUST DROP OFF YOUR FOOD WASTE AT EITHER ANY OF THOSE FOUR LOCATIONS AND WE'LL DO THE REST.
WE HAVE A COMPANY TAKING IT AWAY, MAKING THE COMPOST THAT WE'LL BE USING IN PARKS AND LANDSCAPING TO, TO HELP OUR GREEN SPACE.
I MEAN, THE CLIMATE IS SUCH A BIG, BIG PROBLEM AND, BUT EVERYBODY CAN DO THEIR PART.
AND THIS IS A REAL EASY WAY TO DO YOUR PART.
I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR FOUR YEARS NOW, AND LET ME TELL YOU, I I, I CAN'T STAND TO SEE A BANANA PEEL GOING IN THE, IN THE TRASH CAN, RIGHT? UM, THERE'S A WAY WE CAN REAL ALL HELP OUT.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLEASE, UM, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS PROGRAM AND MORE TO COME BECAUSE WE'VE REQUESTED GRANTS AND THERE'S GONNA BE MORE COM COMPOSTING TO COME.
THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING, AND I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY COLLEAGUE OR MY NEW COLLEAGUE, UM, FELLOW AT LARGE, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, WILLIE DAVIS TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
UH, I AM DE CERTAINLY GRATEFUL TO JOIN SALLY IN THIS EFFORT AND SHE'S, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE CHAMPION IN THIS EFFORT AND I APPLAUD HER FOR THAT.
AND CERTAINLY I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TIRELESS WORK OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DR.
CALL SHIBAS, UH, EVANS SHABAZZ OF DISTRICT D.
OUR COLLABORATION UNDERSCORES THE CITYWIDE DEDICATION TO NOT JUST ADDRESSING FOOD WASTE, BUT FOSTERING A CULTURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND COMMUNITY ACTION.
I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE, AS SALLY HAS SAID, THAT WE CHANGE OUR ACTIONS ON A LOT OF THINGS.
WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE A PART TO PLAY AND AS SHE KIND OF ELOQUENTLY DESCRIBED IT, TO SEPARATE THOSE ITEMS AND PUT IT IN SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND THEN SET IT TO THE SIDE.
AND THAT WAY YOU COULD TAKE IT AND IT'D BE PICKED UP TO THOSE LOCATIONS, PARTICULARLY THE ONE IN SUNNYSIDE WHERE CAROLYN, AS WELL AS THE OTHER LOCATIONS THAT SALLY HAS ALREADY LISTED.
THE FOOD WASTE DROP OFF LOCATIONS ACROSS HOUSTON ARE NOT JUST COLLECTION POINT, BUT THEY'RE BEACONS COLLECTIVE COMMITMENT TO GREENER FUTURE.
THIS INITIATIVE'S CALLED AN ACTION FOR ALL NEWTONIANS TO PARTICIPATE AND MAKING OUR CITY MORE SUSTAINABLE, STARTING WITH REDUCING FOOD WASTE, ONE OF THE MOST PRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OF OUR TIME.
AND I'M GOING TO JOIN SALLY AND DR.
KA SHIBAS IN GETTING INVOLVED BY PARTICIPATING IN FOOD WASTE DROP OFF.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO DO MY BEST, ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO EVERY STEP TOWARDS MAKING A SUSTAINABLE CITY.
LET US NOT, LET'S SHOW OUR CITY THAT WE CAN DO THIS AS WELL AS OTHERS ONLY ABOUT THE GREATNESS OF OUR ECONOMY AND THE CULTURE, BUT ALSO ABOUT THE STRENGTH THAT IT MAKES OUR CITY BECOME AS A WHOLE COMMUNITY, AS A WHOLE COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR ALLOWING ME, AND I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN FOR THE INVITE TO STAND WITH HER AND JOIN WITH HER.
AND I CERTAINLY AGREE AND HOPE TO DO MY PART IN THIS EFFORT.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR SUPPORTING THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT IN THIS EFFORT.
AGAIN, THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION, ALL HOUSTONIANS, PLEASE SAVE YOUR FOOD WASTE.
YOU CAN BAG IT, YOU CAN BRING IT THAT WAY.
YOU DON'T NEED A SPECIAL COLLECTION, UH, YOU KNOW, BUCKET.
WE DO HAVE SOME HERE, BUT WE, YOU CAN BRING IT IN A BAG, PUT IT IN YOUR FREEZER, THAT ONE DAY A WEEK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DROP OFF, PLEASE BRING IT TO ONE OF THESE FOUR LOCATIONS.
AGAIN, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
A CALL TO ACTION TO HOUSTONIANS.