Ed Ehlers, the founder of the Resource Recovery Project, will share insights on how you can drastically increase your recovery rate by “Stop Talking Trash!”  Ed will speak about the various items that can be rehomed, reused, repurposed or recycled and kept out of landfills, so come with your questions! He writes: “What we call trash today, is in fact, a resource and has value.  Our disposable economy encourages wasteful habits and the current system of recycling is not working. Recent studies have found that curbside recycling rates are maybe between 18 and 32%. There is no silver bullet, no one answer, but turning our old definition of trash into a resource and handling it accordingly is a place to start.”

Ed has generously offered that those attending the meeting may bring hard to recycle items from your “junk drawer” and give to him to rehome, reuse, repurpose or recycle. Things like “batteries, old eyeglasses, outdated charger cables, empty cosmetic cases, pens, pencils, busted flashlight, stacks of post-it-note pads, a million paper clips, or two million rubber bands, etc.”! Please bring them in a paper bag or small box and get started on your spring cleaning.

Additionally, as part of his dedication to our local community, Ed will speak about the glass collection project he is doing during the month of April. This special collection is in memory of Clifton Resident, Joel Byrne, who ran a glass recycling business while he was a student at Robinson SS.  Joel suddenly passed away in 2023. Read more about Joel here:  https://letgoodnessshine.com. The goal is to collect 3,000 pounds of glass. All are encouraged to participate – you do not have to be a Clifton area resident to participate!

You may participate by dropping off your clean and dry glass bottles and jars all month long at the following Clifton businesses: The Wine Attic, Virginia Mercantile, GoldensHill Papercrafts, and Belle Jar Design. Additionally on April 20th from 9 -11 a.m. you may drop off at the Caboose in downtown Clifton, by the railroad tracks. Look for the Resource Recovery Pickup truck!

Part of our DWCNV mission is to encourage connections with the local community and the glass collection and Ed’s Resource Recovery work in general does just that! For more information or questions, contact us at cliftonwomendems@aol.com

We will also hear from Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District Board Member, Dana Barakat, who will tell us more about what they do to promote soil and water conservation. Their website states: “Our vision is engaged communities working together to protect and restore natural resources. Our mission is to promote sustainable urban and suburban activities and stewardship to conserve our soil, water, air, plants, and animal resources in Fairfax County – vital components of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. We achieve this through effective leadership, technical assistance and outreach programs in partnership with government, industry, non-profit organizations, and the public.

Ms. Barakat was elected in Nov. 2023. As a candidate this was written about her top priorities as reported by the Connection Newspaper in their September 27, 2023 edition, ”education and outreach, which she sees as “vital to embracing environmental stewardship.” She includes educating citizens on storm water mitigation as one area of needed concentration. Another is to provide information on grants and programs offered. She says underrepresented communities tend to lack the information and tools to use the resources that could be available to them, though they are in dire need. Further, she sees education needs to go beyond residents; that “developers must be educated and provided the tools to make better choices.”