On March 16 and 17, I (along with my collegue and fellow-blogger Sherri McCarthy) represented ACC at the Green California Summit and Exhibition at the Sacramento Convention Center. Dozens of exhibitors shared with attendees and government officials their environmental stories.

Lots of people stopped by our booth to learn about plastics recycling and pick up a plastic bag storage sleeve. Many were amazed to find they could use these at home to store plastic grocery bags and wraps (like for bread, newspapers, dry cleaning, etc.) and then deposit them all at once into the recycling bins of any large pharmacy or grocery store. People were more excited when they learned these were made from 100% recycled plastic bottles!

We also handed out other materials (including refrigerator magnets!) conveying the importance of plastic bag and wrap recycling and the efforts of the “Too Valuable to Waste” campaign.

We also had the privilege of meeting people who shared our passion for recycling. Spencer Brown, founder of Rent-a-Green-Box, stopped by to commend our efforts to increase recycling in California. Spencer’s company creates reusable, collapsible moving boxes – and they’re made out of recycled plastics! You can learn more at the Rent-a-Green-Box Web site: http://earthfriendlymoving.com/greenbox/

Bradford Peery works out of Carmel, CA creating rainwater control systems. As you may have guessed, the system is made of 100% recycled HDPE. Needless to say, this company truly embodies the “Too Valuable to Waste” spirit. You can learn more at: http://www.raintechnologies.com/

I was most excited with the number of teachers and students in attendance. So many schools are starting robust recycling programs, and it’s just fantastic to see that level of enthusiasm shared in academia.