Spring 1998
In This Issue:
- Collection Center Logs Are
Measuring Success
- Surf’s Up: Oil Recycling
Info Now on Internet
- Pooling Media Money to Promote
Used Oil Filter Collection
- Re-Refined Oil Marketing Group
Making Progress
- Interagency Cooperation Makes
New HHW Collection Facility Possible
- Coastal Commission Launches
Boater Campaign
- Mobile Trailer Makes Shasta
Recycling Easier
- San Bernardino County Home
to One-Third of State’s Facilities
- Cool Corner
- Spring Measurement Workshops
Scheduled
______________________________________________________________
Collection Center Logs Are Measuring Success
San Mateo County has successfully utilized
collection center logs to evaluate the effectiveness of their
used oil program. Three years ago, the County made a conscience
decision to collect regular and consistent data. One mechanism
for doing this was to implement a log system at all County-sponsored
collection facilities.
The County sponsors used oil and filter
collection at 39 retail and service locations; there are also
39 other state-sponsored collection locations. After reviewing
a variety of logs from other jurisdictions, staff developed a
log that worked in San Mateo County. The carbon-copy log sheets
include: the customer’s name, quantity of oil, number of
filters and zip code. All of the County’s non-certified centers
return a copy of the log sheets to the County because it is a
required component of the quarterly invoice process.
Once staff receives the data, they enter
the data into a database. The database helps track how many gallons
of oil are collected, how many filters are collected, where they
are collected, and which Center collects them. This data helps
staff analyze collection success, oil drop-off practices and geographic
service for all County-sponsored sites. The success of this effort
is due in part to the staff. Because staff conducts regular outreach
through bi-annual visits to the centers and is effective at developing
positive working relationships with the centers, the centers are
willing to collect the data.
County staff have experienced several
challenges and learned several lessons from this program. The
initial start-up of the program and development of the materials
from scratch (i.e., the forms and database) were extremely time
consuming. And though the demands on staff time have decreased,
the system continues to be fairly time consuming to maintain.
Additionally, because of lack of data from the state sponsored
facilities, County staff cannot fully evaluate the county-wide
changes in DIYers practices related to education and outreach.
However, the implementation of forms has
worked extremely well for San Mateo County, and ensured that there
is consistent data to compare collection success at different
sites over time. Additional information on this program will be
available at the upcoming Measurement and Evaluation Work-shops.
Susan Hiestand of San Mateo County can also be contacted for more
information at (650) 599-1514.
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Surf’s Up: Oil Recycling Info Now on Internet
Now you can surf the information superhighway
to find out what is being done throughout the state in used oil
recycling. Through generous support from Americlean Environmental
Services, Inc., and the RecycleNet Consortium, the Blue Planet
Foundation is coordinating the development of a statewide web
site on used oil recycling. The goal of this web site, “Used
Oil Connection,' is to connect those working on used oil recycling
programs and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information
on used oil, household hazardous waste, solid waste and other
related issues. The site address—http://www.usedoilconnect.com—is
currently under construction.
Users will be able to: view samples of
public and school education materials; read about Research, Testing
and Demonstration projects; see products that are being used;
hear about the newest efforts in promoting the use of rerefined
oil; and follow new funding opportunities.
One key element that will ensure the web
site’s success is for those working on used oil recycling
or other related projects to provide information and materials
that can be shared across the state through the web site. As a
result, you will have the opportunity to view what others are
doing in your area of interest. If you have any ideas or information
that you would like to share on the web site, please contact the
Blue Planet Foundation at (714) 766-0914.
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Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties Pool Media
Money to Promote Used Oil Filter Collection
Recognizing that they share a common media market, Monterey and
Santa Cruz Counties began combining resources over a year ago
to promote used oil filter collection throughout the two-county
area. According to Mahlon Aldridge of Ecology Action, the Santa
Cruz-based nonprofit organization charged with coordinating the
promotional effort, “it was crucial to ensure that filters
could be collected throughout both counties.' The counties accomplished
this in part by offering to pay the collection centers’ hazardous
waste handling permit fees if they agreed to collect filters.
“After nearly all of the two jurisdictions’ combined
55 facilities began accepting filters,' says Aldridge, “we
were able to put out a single and consistent message with a uniform
image—the state’s oil drop.'
While Aldridge admits that coordinating
the regional media campaign poses logistical challenges, both
counties are gaining a bigger bang for their advertising buck.
For more information about the program, call Louie Ferrera of
Ecology Action at (408) 426-5925 x 17.
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Re-Refined Oil Marketing Group Making Progress
Refining and reselling used motor oil
is an important nonpolluting alternative to converting it to processing
fuel and burning it for energy. Though there is little demand
in the retail sector, awareness is increasing. The Ventura County
Re-refined Oil Marketing Group is working to change misconceptions
about re-refined oil by developing new markets for oil collected
from community used oil recycling programs and at state certified
oil collection centers.
The Ventura County based group, formed
out of the September 1996 Re-refined Oil Symposium, hosted by
County Supervisor Frank Schillo in Thousand Oaks. In November
1996, the Integrated Waste Management Board honored Ventura County
and its 10 cities for pioneering the use of re-refined oil in
their fleets of vehicles. The Board also cited the City of Thousand
Oaks’ Oil Recycling Program for sending its collected oil
to a re-refinery, which is then sold back to the city at less
than the cost of virgin oil. All of the city’s 350 vehicles
run on re-refined oil. Now the group is developing an integrated
marketing campaign that involves public and private partners.
The goal is to increase the use and awareness of re-refined motor
oil while continuing to ensure oil is properly recycled.
“The Re-refined Oil Marketing Group
is gaining momentum,' says Grahame Watts, Thousand Oaks Environmental
Programs Analyst and group moderator. Local governments beyond
Ventura County and representatives from oil firms and major retail
outlets are getting involved. “With support from the Waste
Board and increased networking among Used Oil Research Grant recipients,
group members are anticipate a tremendous change and increased
awareness in the new year,' Watts said.
For more information about upcoming meetings,
the group’s activities, or supporting this effort, call Grahame
Watts of City of Thousand Oaks at (805) 449-2453.
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Interagency Cooperation Makes New Household
Hazardous Waste Collection Facility Possible
On Saturday, June 28, 1997, a permanent
household hazardous waste collection facility opened in Vista
to serve North San Diego County residents. Now, rather than waiting
for a neighborhood HHW event, residents can call the HHW Hotline’s
800 number to make an appointment to dispose of materials.
Interjurisdictional cooperation transformed
this previous used oil only facility into a model HHW facility.
Permit assistance and grant writing were provided by county staff,
and help with environmental documents, the public hearing process,
and facility design were the work of city staff. The City of Vista
also provided the property where the facility is located.
“The collection services offered
by the Vista facility exemplify how state and local governments
can work together to achieve common goals,' said Bill Basham,
Director of Public Works for the City of Vista. “This facility
is made possible through grants provided by the California Integrated
Waste Management Board and the combined cooperative efforts of
City of Vista and County of San Diego staff.' For more information,
call Pam Jackson, San Diego County, (619) 338-2175 or Norm Ginsberg,
City of Vista, (619) 726-1340.
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Coastal Commission Launches Boater Campaign
To reduce nonpoint source pollution from
boats, the California Coastal Commission launched its “Boating
Clean and Green' campaign last spring. The primary objectives
of this three-year project are to provide state-wide public education
and to facilitate the installation of services needed by boaters
to reduce the emissions of oil and other pollutants associated
with boating.
To achieve these objectives the project
has four components: investigate sources and boater practices
which cause oily discharge; conduct an educational campaign by
distributing materials at boat shows, supply shops, marinas and
safety classes; provide training, assistance and technical support
for local agencies to establish pollution control programs and
to enhance outreach efforts for boaters and marine businesses;
and conduct outreach to mobile boat-maintenance workers.
The Commission just completed the first
component, and is in the process of initiating the second and
third components. For more info on the “Boating Clean and
Green' campaign, call Miriam Gordon at (415) 904-5214.
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Mobile Trailer Makes Shasta Recycling Easier
In Shasta County, as with most jurisdictions,
the best way to collect HHW (including used motor oil) is to make
it convenient. Unfortunately, because of the county’s rural
nature, the County’s one permanent HHW disposal facility
in Redding is not convenient for many residents. Events were located
in cities too far from most residents to attend. To solve this
problem and insure the proper disposal of HHW, the County used
a HHW grant from the CIWMB to purchase a truck and trailer for
temporary mobile collection events.
The trailer was specially designed with
a supply room, cabinets, electricity, sink, eyewash, shower and
a storage room with straps to handle eighteen filled drums secured
to meet Department of Transportation standards. Residents have
been charged up to $5 during the five events the County has conducted
to dispose of HHW. Recyclable items such as motor oil, antifreeze,
latex paint and batteries are collected for free.
Shasta County spent about $12,000 per
event in staff time, advertising, materials and chemists for each
event (not counting disposal costs). For more information about
the County’s mobile collection system, call John Strahan
at the County’s Department of Resource Management at (916)
225-5789.
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San Bernardino County Home to One-Third of
State’s Facilities
San Bernardino County is home to fifteen
of California’s 45 permanent HHW and used oil collection
facilities. In the largest county in the contiguous United States
(covering over 20,000 square miles), most residents get their
drinking water from ground water. Interested in protecting that
groundwater, County staff applied for a State Water Resources
Control Board grant in 1983. The grant paid for two permanent
HHW collection facilities, and two one-day collection events.
The pilot program proved so successful
that the Board of Supervisors decided to continue the program,
paying for it with landfill tipping fees. The County continued
to hold one-day events but found them to be less cost-effective
than the permanent sites.
Over time, more and more permanent facilities
were added until there are now fifteen located around the county.
One-day collection events are now held in cities that request
them. But when landfill tipping fees went down in 1992, they had
to start charging cities for these events. For more info, call
Diane Christianson at (909) 382-5401.
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Cool Corner
Five cool things currently happening throughout the state:
- Volunteer City - Building on past success, “I
Love A Clean San Diego' has 1,200 volunteers to assist with
a storm drain stenciling project slated for April as part of
“Keep California Beautiful' Month - “Keep California
Beautiful' is providing coupons for free hamburgers from Carl’s
Jr. to all participants.
- Baseball - Grantees in San Bernardino are pulling
together a major used oil promotion at Quake Stadium, a Triple-A
baseball park.
- Small Farms - San Joaquin County has a small farm
oil collection program that makes it easy and convenient for
farmers to dispose of their used oil.
- Filter Collection - Silicon Valley Pollution Prevention
Center is working with cities in the southern San Francisco
Bay to enhance filter collection efforts and divert up to one
million used oil filters from landfills.
- More Surfing - Visit the web site that lists some
collection centers: http://www.1800cleanup.org.
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Spring Measurement Workshops Scheduled
A series of measurement workshops are headed your way this spring.
The workshops will help you measure the effectiveness of your
program, both in terms of behavior change and used oil collected.
You will learn practical tools and techniques for program measurement,
including: establishing baselines, conducting surveys, and determining
your program’s impact.
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