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Zero Waste unveils 'reusables' campaign
Yamhill County's News-Register
News-Register Staff, 2024


"Under a program spearheaded by Zero Waste McMinnville, stainless steel containers would be offered by local restaurants for takeout and leftovers. They could then be returned, sanitized and reused."

Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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Jeri White: Fighting to keep plastic from fouling our planet
Yamhill County's News-Register
Jeri White, 2024


"In 2023, The Plastic Project joined Zero Waste McMinnville in order to grow our project beyond plastic recycling. We’ve educated ourselves regarding the harm plastic pollution is causing our planet, and more recently, our concerns have grown regarding plastic chemicals and human health."

Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register
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"Seeds of renewal: On Earth Day, community groups combine efforts"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Kirby Neumann-Rea, 2024


"A 'Plastics v. Planet' fair at First Baptist Church in McMinnville focused on a variety of sustainability topics, including composting and Earth-friendly disposal of plastics. The Plastic Project and Zero Waste McMinnville and a coalition of local churches cooperated to put on the event. Attendees took home free flower and vegetable starts nurtured by people from throughout the county, with information about sustainably growing the plants.
 
As part of an hour-long program, speakers included C.J. Lacy-Hanks of Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice near Yamhill.
 
Lacy-Hanks had a simple suggestion for helping the earth: 'Get curious: learn about the watershed you live in. Where does rainwater go?'"

Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

Kirby Neumann-Rea/News-Register

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"McMinnville: A Circular City"
Crush
Kitri McGuire 2024

"In striving for a Circular City in McMinnville, the aim is to reduce the local carbon footprint, promote resource efficiency, curb air and water pollution, and preserve ecosystems. Such initiatives enhance resilience against shocks like natural disasters and resource scarcity by diversifying resource streams and eliminating redundancy...How can I help? Citizens can contribute by joining initiatives like Zero Waste McMinnville and adopting sustainable lifestyle habits."

Read more here.

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"Zero Waste’s plastic collection events growing in popularity"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Kirby Neumann-Rea, 2024


"Three times a year — February, June and September — the project holds events for people to bring hard-to-recycle items. The items are sorted and then bagged for transport to the nonprofit James Recycling program based in Beaverton. Items included yogurt tubs, prescription bottles, and to-go food containers, to name a few. Volunteers helped donors sift through a wide variety of alphanumerically coded items that Recology can’t accept curbside but ultimately can be recycled rather than landfilled."

Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

Kirby Neumann-Rea/News-Register

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"Making a difference"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Letter to the Editor: February 2, 2024

"As it happens, The Plastic Project will be presenting The Joy of Volunteering, How to be Great at Doing Good, at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the McMinnville Public Library’s Carnegie Room. It’s part of a speaker series Zero Waste McMinnville is hosting there every first Monday through May."


Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Sustainability fair extends beyond ‘recycle’ to ‘rethink’"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Editorial Board, 2023

"
The fair was more than just another place to buy things. It was a market of ideas: Vendors displayed myriad purposes for things someone either threw away or passed along. It was heartening to see items get at least one more use, one more life, in counterpoint to a throwaway society with toxic effects on surface and groundwater, our rivers and oceans, and the air."

Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Sustainability fair exhibits Earth-friendly creativity"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Kirby Neumann-Rea, 2023


"CO2 cartridges were turned into sunflowers, inner tubes became colorful feather-shaped jewelry, and maps and sculptures were crafted from game pieces, hardware, and dried-out paint pots and tubes.

More than 50 artists and vendors from McMinnville, Sheridan, Portland, Molalla, Eugene and beyond brought their repurposed creations to show and sell in the third McMinnville Recycled Arts and Sustainable Living Festival.

'The creativity is incredible,' said Ramsey McPhillips of Zero Waste McMinnville, which organized the fair, held this year at the downtown location to coincide with Lemonade Day and the Dine Out(side) street closures. The fair closed Cowls Street from Second to Fourth, as well."


Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

Rachel Thompson/News-Register

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"Fair will feature recycled art, objects"
Yamhill County's News-Register
News-Register Staff, 2023

"
The event goes 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Cowls Street between Second and Fourth streets downtown. Admission is free. The festival 'is a community-inspired event to share information and lifestyle practices on how you can live more sustainably and show creativity through upcycled art,' said Haley Queen, a representative of the sponsoring group, Zero Waste McMinnville. Music and other entertainment are also planned.

Queen also focuses on sustainable living with her business, Sustainable Rituals, located in the Mac Market at 11th and Alpine streets. The shop offers plants, books and environmentally friendly products, such as shampoo and soap in bulk."


Read more here.  Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Stopping By: Seeds of learning"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Starla Pointer, 2023


"He and his horticulture students volunteer as caretakers for some of Edible Landscaping’s large box gardens along Alpine Avenue. They take care of two boxes filled with olive trees and Mediterranean plants and culinary herbs.

The classes also have been growing about 2,000 seedlings — including artichokes, numerous vegetables and edible flowers — for Edible Landscapes’ plant giveaway and gardening fair slated for Saturday, May 13.

The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Mac Market, 11th and Alpine in McMinnville. In addition to thousands of free organic fruit and vegetable starts, the event will include a petting zoo sponsored by Zero Waste McMinnville, planting activities for children and information about composting methods."



Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

Rusty Rae/News-Register

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"House Bill 543 – Ban on single use polystyrene."
Oregon Legislature, Public Testimony Document
Ramsey McPhillips, 2023

"
Styrofoam use has long been an issue our organization has worked to eliminate from the waste stream. McMinnville is the only city in Oregon where a polystyrene franchise recycling option is available. The cost is included in the residential garbage bills of our citizens, who may bring their clean styrofoam to the transfer station for collection without being charged at the gate."

Read more here.

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"Plastic Project hosts potluck and movie night"
Yamhill County's News-Register
News-Register Staff, 2023

"
Organizer Jeri White said, 'join us for an evening of exploring what it means to live in a plastic world and how each of us can begin to slow the flow of toxic plastic waste in Yamhill County.'"

Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Plastic collection Saturday"
Yamhill County's News-Register
News-Register Staff, 2023

"
Residents can bring hard-to-recycle plastics to a collection event Saturday, Feb. 11, at the McMinnville First Baptist Church."

Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Flag and Wire Case Study"
Huskee
2022

"They implemented HuskeeSwap in December 2019, as it was an opportunity to improve and build upon their sustainability goals. HuskeeSwap was endorsed to Flag & Wire by Zero Waste McMinnville, a great community organisation that encourages people to change their thinking about waste and to avoid waste through policies and practices...17 kg of single-use plastic eliminated at the source."


Read more here.

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"Swimming in plastic"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Letters to the Editor: December 23, 2022

"Did you know that chemicals are released into the contents when you combine plastic with hot food or beverage? Hot plastic equals poison. 'Microwave-safe' only means the plastic won’t melt, not that it’s safe for food contact."


Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Recycled Arts and Sustainable Living Festival"
Green Living
Green Living Journal, 2022


"Zero Waste McMinnville had to surrender to the pandemic by curtailing their impactful hands-on volunteer crusade to make McMinnville the first Zero Waste city in Oregon. However, they now feel that the pandemic is manageable for them to re-enter the community with their efforts. Therefore, they invite one and all to join them."

Read more here.
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"McPhillips: Virus sends a message: Learn to get by with less"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Ramsey McPhillips, 2020


"Meanwhile, as we at Zero Waste perfect our mission to make McMinnville Oregon’s first Zero Waste City, and encourage Haley Queen in her effort to launch a Zero Waste retail market we’re calling Sustainable Rituals, we also urge you to garden your tush off this summer."

Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register
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"Global climate, local action"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Tom Henderson, 2019


"McPhillips and other local residents concerned about the environment started Zero Waste McMinnville in 2014, initially with the goal of diverting 90% of the city’s waste away from the Riverbend Landfill by 2024.

Those goals evolved over the past five years. City councilors decided Dec. 28, 2017, to stop using Riverbend and instead send local garbage to Headquarters Landfill in Cowlitz County, Washington.

Zero Waste leader Beth Rankin said the initial goal — or at least attaching an exact percentage to it — was never realistic. 'That target always moves,' she said.

Now the organization focuses on providing ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and simply eliminate with an emphasis on local resources.

Perhaps most importantly, Rankin said, Zero Waste empowers people."


Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

Marcus Larson/News-Register

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"State bag ban among laws taking effect Jan. 1"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Tom Henderson, 2019


"McMinnville city councilors were pioneers, said McPhillips, banning all forms of single-use plastic bags. “They went cold turkey,” he said.
 
In fact, as far as he could tell, McMinnville was the first city in Oregon with such a widespread prohibition on the plastic bags. Sixteen other cities had similar bans, just not as extensive as the McMinnville ordinance."


Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register
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"Group fights the stream of waste, not neighbors"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Editorial Board, 2019

"
Because of Zero Waste, Flag & Wire and Mac Market now accept HuskeeCups, reusable cups that consumers can use and return to participating businesses in exchange for a freshly washed cup. The concept helps keep paper cups out of the wastestream.
Members have spearheaded the drive for more local businesses to join the 300 locations now accepting the cups. It is yet another simple yet graceful idea that shouldn’t offend anyone’s political sensibilities."


Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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Marcus Larson/News-Register

"Group promotes Victory Gardens of Yamhill County"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Nicole Montesano, 2019


"On Monday, Sept. 9, Zero Waste McMinnville will host a presentation with Victory Gardens of Yamhill County on how residents can reduce their carbon footprint by creating home gardens, composting and supporting local food producers. Information on the Seeds to Supper program will also be presented."

​

Read more here . Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Going green in Mac"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Letters to the editor: June 28, 2019

"The school was presented with a certificate of qualification for the Oregon Green Schools program by Regional Coordinator Leslie Lanzar, along with a $500 check from Zero Waste McMinnville to help further its science, technology, engineering, art and math efforts. Afterward, we were invited to participate in creative arts and crafts efforts using waste resources as materials."


Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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Rusty Rae / News-Register

"Festival features sustainable arts, crafts"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Starla Pointer, 2019


"'Is this art? I think it is,' Wilson said, happy to be included in McMinnville’s first Recycle Arts Festival. 'It’s definitely sustainable. We need to embrace sustainable for things we need and use, too.'"

​

Read more here . Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"New festival highlights ‘trash to treasure’ art"
Yamhill County's News-Register
News-Register Staff, 2019

"
Zero Waste McMinnville is sponsoring the festival.
Organizers said the event will feature 'trash-to-treasure works of art by Northwest residents.' Wearable, displayable and edible items will be for sale."


Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Come celebrate with us"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Letters to the editor: April 12, 2019

"A week later, the first annual Zero Waste McMinnville Recycled Arts Festival will be held at Linfield College. A full list of activities, and volunteer opportunities, can be found on Zero Waste’s Facebook page and www.zerowastemcminnville.org website. Finally, Zero Waste will be hosting a family-friendly Earth Night celebration from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at the Allegory Brewery on Fourth Street. The event is aimed at those who love the Earth and have dedicated their lives to the environment — farmers, gardeners, natural resource specialists, sustainability wonks, solid waste workers, land use planners, academics and foresters, all coming together for one night."


Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Hotel Oregon takes top honors in MDA awards"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Tom Henderson, 2019

"Here is the complete list of award winners:
​
Business of the Year: McMenamins Hotel Oregon
Volunteer of the Year: Zero Waste McMinnville..."

Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register
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"Zero Waste event Monday"
Yamhill County's News-Register
News-Register Staff, 2019

"
Zero Waste McMinnville will host a presentation on environmentally friendly schools on Monday, March 4, in the McMinnville Public Library."

Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Greening of our schools"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Letters to the editor: March 1, 2019

"While 300 schools across Oregon have earned green certification, our McMinnville and Yamhill County schools have lagged behind. Dedicated to changing that, Zero Waste has an energetic Green Schools Committee connecting with all public schools, private schools and parent-teacher organizations in McMinnville."


Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Greening our schools"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Letters to the editor: Feb. 15, 2019

"
We contacted the McMinnville District 40 office to see what we could do to certify some green schools here. We were told the district would consider instituting a program in the spring of 2020.
Let’s do what we can to ensure this happens."


Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Zero Waste hosts program about environmental policies"
Yamhill County's News-Register
News-Register Staff, 2019

"
Segments of Al Gore’s second film, 'An Inconvenient Truth II,' will be shown. The evening will include a presentation by Linfield senior Maddie Colson, talks by two professors and discussion following the topic, 'Environmental policy: Who’s to blame for climate change and whose job is it to stop it?'"

Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Solving the deposit dilemma"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Letters to the Editor: Aug. 17, 2018

"
Meanwhile, Recology and Zero Waste McMinnville have just finished a successful two-month pilot project at their transfer station and recycling center. It allows users to donate their return deposit money to charity.
All you have to do is bring your cans and bottles to the recycling center and throw them into a big hopper in the corner, marked 'Donate to Charity Here.' Every two months, a new charity is chosen as the beneficiary."


Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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Rockne Roll/News-Register

"Spreading the compost gospel"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Tom Henderson, 2018


"Lutz, Parker and other Zero Waste members shared their composting expertise June 16 at the annual Compostpalooza, held this year at the McMinnville Grange. 'This is the third year we’ve done it,' said Steve Iverson of Zero Waste. 'This is our 'everything compost' event.'"

​

At least 20 percent of the landfill is food waste that could have been composted, he said. Instead, it goes to the dump, where anaerobic bacteria decomposes organic waste to produce biogas, a toxic cocktail of methane and carbon dioxide with hints of other compounds.

​

Methane is an asphyxiant, which in high concentrations may displace oxygen. 'Methane is a major polluter, and we want to keep methane producers out of the waste stream,' Iverson said."

​

Read more here . Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Kids doing right thing"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Letters to the Editor: May 25 2018

"This seventh grade group of five has been working closely with Zero Waste McMinnville to raise awareness and increase recycling in McMinnville. It has helped at events, sorted recyclables, put out notices and much more."
Read more here.
Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Council bags proposed changes to bag ban"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Tom Henderson, 2018

"Hill said the charge gives people incentive to bring their own bags and help reduce waste.
​
'What we’re saving our landfill from is tremendous,' he said. 'By eliminating the 5-cent charge, we’re taking some of the teeth out of the ordinance.'"

Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Council considers dropping nickel charge on paper bags"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Tom Henderson, 2018

"
The plastic bag ban went into effect in September, initially affecting only large retailers. The second phase of the ban began last month, extended to all local retailers.

Peralta said charges on paper bags have been imposed in other cities that have banned plastic bags. Contrary to his original opinion, he said making the charge mandatory seems necessary to encourage people to bring their own reusable bags."


Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Zero Waste celebrates Earth Day with Earth Night"
Yamhill County's News-Register
News-Register Staff, 2018

"Ramsey McPhillips, one of the leaders of Zero Waste, said the event acknowledges Earth Day volunteer efforts and encourages the mingling of diverse factions in the community."
Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"Recology, Agilyx, Oregon town partner on polystyrene recycling program"
Recycling Today
December 2018

"
Under the program, Recology will accept 'polystyrene foam, block Styrofoam packaging material, coolers, meat trays, egg cartons,' single-use cups, utensils and plates and food containers from residents and small commercial businesses at the drop-off site.
The hauler thanked Agilyx Corp., Zero Waste McMinnville and McMinnville City Council for support in what it calls a one of a kind venture."


Read more here. 

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Marcus Larson/News-Register

"Bag ban soon to hit small retailers"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Tom Henderson, 2018

"
The second phase of the bag ban goes into effect March 1 when it is extended to all local retailers.
Ramsey McPhillips is bracing for more hostility.
A leader of Zero Waste — whose mission is to make McMinnville the state’s first zero waste city — McPhillips and the group originally proposed the bag ban."
Read more here: https://newsregister.com/article?articleTitle=bag-ban-soon-to-hit-small-retailers--1518545451--28788--  Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register

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"BIG NIGHT with Zero Waste Impact Ambitions"
Bounty of Yamhill County
Sarah Rosenberg, 2017

"
Ramsey McPhillips, president of Zero Waste McMinnville, says, 'BOYC has been the perfect event template to roll out our real time practice of eliminating all waste going to landfills. We consider providing waste reduction education as our number one goal and have noticed a clear uptick of improved zero waste behavior at BOYC over the last two years. This year our goal is to assist in composting BOYC food waste at the vineyard so that the transportation footprint (and cost) associated with waste reduction is further reduced. Bravo to Susan Sokol Blosser for having the highest Zero Waste number of any event in the County!'

Last year, BOYC diverted 830 pounds of waste at BIG NIGHT, meaning less than 4 percent of waste ended up in a landfill. More than half of the diverted material was glass bottles and commingled recyclables with compostable items making up the rest."


Read more here.

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"Recipients of MWVCOG Annual Awards"
Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments
2023

"Recognizing, each year, a person or group that the Chair of the Board of Directors wishes to honor...2016 Zero Waste McMinnville."

Read more here.

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"Moving toward zero waste"
Yamhill County's News-Register
Letters to the Editor: Aug. 14, 2015

"Our goal has been to gleefully begin the process of helping McMinnville become Oregon’s first Zero Waste town — meaning, eventually, McMinnville will divert 90 percent of our waste. Right now, Recology tells us we are diverting 50 percent. We have a ways to go."
Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register.

Marcus Larson/News-Register

"UFO fest out of this world"
Yamhill County's News-Register
News-Register staff, 2015

"Volunteers from Zero Waste McMinnville were able to divert 943 pounds of event trash away from the landfill,including 700 pounds of compostable material. Only 249 pounds of trash ended up bound for Riverbend."
Read more here. Reading this full article requires a subscription to Yamhill County's News-Register.

 

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