Will the Reusable Bag Ordinance expand to all retail?
Bag Ordinance expansion planned
StopWaste is planning for an expansion of the reusable bag ordinance to include all retail stores and restaurants. The current ordinance, which went into effect January 2013, applies to grocery, drug and liquor stores. If approved, retail stores and restaurants would be added to the ordinance.
Consumer Recycling Quandaries in the News
Bay Area News Group reports on consumer confusion about curbside recycling
The Bay Area News Group recently featured recycling as their front-page story - spotlighting how packaging, labeling, and programmatic differences have led to confusion for Bay Area consumers who want to do the "right thing" with their recyclables. The article included findings from StopWaste's studies, along with tips and guidance from our staff.
Lawn to Garden Made Easier
Sheet mulching resources for residents and professionals
We recently launched a new regional website, the Lawn-to-Garden Marketplace at www.lawntogarden.org. It's a one-stop shop for home gardeners and landscape professionals to find resources for converting lawns sustainably with sheet mulch. Visitors can find rebates and discounts on materials, get inspired by examples of local lawn conversions, and use our searchable vendor list to find cardboard, compost, mulch and more.
Spring lawn-to-garden parties
This spring we're hosting a series of lawn-to-garden parties throughout the county. These one-day events provide residents with experience replacing lawns using sheet mulch. StopWaste staff and Bay-Friendly Qualified Landscape Professionals will be on hand to provide guidance. Residents get to see the entire process and use their new knowledge to convert their own lawn.
Employee Spotlight
Wendy Sommer
Executive Director
Wendy Sommer joined StopWaste in 1991 as an assistant planner, and began her role as executive director in 2016. Wendy has been at the forefront of sustainability leadership in the East Bay and California, and has played a key role in shaping groundbreaking policies and programs, resulting in the development of standard-setting programs for green building, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and more. After 30 dedicated years at the Agency, she will retire in July 2021. Current Deputy Executive Director Timothy Burroughs will take the helm as StopWaste’s new Executive Director starting July 12. Stay tuned for updates and insights.
In your 30 years at the Agency, it’s hard to think of an area you haven’t played a key role in shaping – from setting construction & demolition standards to cutting edge food scrap programs – you even led the construction of the Agency’s headquarters, the first LEED Platinum renovation project in the world. What stands out to you as most memorable?
I always knew that what would keep me in this job is the opportunity to learn new things, and the variety definitely offered that. Each endeavor has some special memory or success story. But they all share a common thread: they center around a new idea, or a new way of doing something that has never been done before. They all involve convening multiple stakeholders and in almost all cases, people from different backgrounds and opinions. Someone called me a “challenge junkie” the other day, and I guess I am! I love the challenge, the planning, strategizing how things will work, and connecting people with different points of view to reach a common goal. It’s not one particular project, but the process itself that I love.
It goes without saying that your journey and accomplishments serve as an inspiration to us all. Can you share a little about your own story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Indonesia, and after high school I wanted to study biology in college, but ended up studying law instead. It didn't get off to a good start: freshman hazing was a thing at the time, which I refused to do. It also wasn’t a culture where you could ask questions or voice your own opinions, so I started looking at studying overseas. I thought: I’ll go to the US where there’s freedom of speech, plus there’s Disneyland so it can’t be all that bad! I applied everywhere, and the first acceptance I got was in Green Bay, Wisconsin. In the letter they mentioned to be aware that it gets very cold and to pack long underwear. I didn’t know what long underwear were, so I knew I wouldn’t survive coming from the tropics. I looked to warmer weather, so ended up with my sights on California. I got into a number of schools, but picked Sonoma State University, the smallest college in the state system. I showed up on campus in January with one suitcase without a place to live. I got lucky, and they let me stay in an empty dorm room which is where I got started.
I did finally study biology, but didn’t like the career offerings, so took environmental studies and planning. I got offered a job by a private planner, and later moved with my husband, whom I met in college, to the Tri-Valley (Dublin). After a short time, my boss told me that she was a part of this local task force working on AB 939 known as the Integrated Waste Management Act, and that there was an opening at the Alameda County Waste Management Authority for an assistant planner. The rest is history!
When people find out that I’m from Indonesia, there is an assumption that I must have faced a great deal of discrimination. That's not the case so much in Indonesia, where it’s commonplace to have women as engineers, doctors, and pilots. When we first moved to this area, I worked for a male-dominated engineering firm as a planner and they had no idea what to do with me. I disliked it – none of the engineers valued my input. But then I learned drafting, and started drawing some of the first plans for subdivisions in the area and central valley. This was all new development, with little to no regard for environmental impact. This was really what pushed me further into the environmental focus in a very male-dominated field. But I’ve always maintained that you don’t have to change yourself to get ahead. I never felt the need for that. You could say there’s a disadvantage of being an immigrant and a woman – people look at you a little differently. Regardless, I’ve learned that if I'm true to myself, comfortable in my own skin, and know what I’m saying my voice will be heard.
What are some of the biggest changes that you’ve seen in this industry, and what are some of the biggest challenges that remain?
One of the biggest changes I’m seeing is a more holistic approach to the field, one that prioritizes the multi-benefits on the environment and also community. Before it was about dollars per ton, convenience, and cost effectiveness. People are more and more aware that things are more interrelated. One of the biggest challenges in this field is balancing the urgency of what’s happening with climate change, yet understanding that this is also an uphill battle; a slow but steady movement that urgently needs to happen.
As you retire, what advice would you give staff and anyone dedicated to the mission of conservation and sustainability?
Be patient – but also persistent – and persevere. You need that combination. And remember that not everyone shares your view; try to find the common ground, and grow together. There’s a saying I like: don’t water the weeds. If you’re doing something and it’s not taking hold, recognize that and move on when you can. So much of our work is about building relationships, the results will follow. Take your work seriously, but not yourself, too seriously anyway. You have to have fun – there needs to be a balance. Lastly, try to uplift others whenever possible.
So what chapter is next in your book?
I'm excited to focus on self-care and other things that I have set aside because they aren’t pragmatic: art, music, gardening, languages. We also want to travel: the first thing we’re going to do after my retirement is to go to Mendocino. I've never really visited the National Parks, so first up we’re driving to Utah to visit parks there. The great part about retirement is that I can go to places midweek! When international travel opens up, top on our list is Spain, Greece, and Portugal. But one boring thing that I am super excited about in retirement is to declutter the house!