County Encourages Residents to Go Green During Earth Month

If you are looking for ways to celebrate Earth Month this April and help the environment, the County of Santa Clara has you covered.

The County and community partners offer a wide range of ecofriendly programs, services and activities that can help you and your family become more sustainable. The County has created an Earth Month webpage, where many of these opportunities and incentives have been compiled.

We encourage you to take a look and find something that sparks your curiosity! 

• Recycling and waste reduction – It’s important to recycle properly, especially by limiting the amount of contamination in recycling carts. Keeping food and organic waste out of your recycling carts not only makes recycling more efficient and cost-effective but also cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions. Learn the best practices in your community on the County’s Recycle Right webpage.
• Energy efficiency and electrification – There’s lots of ways you can reduce your energy use and electrify your home. Visit the County’s energy and electrification webpage to learn more, including how to take advantage of home-improvement rebates through the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN).
• Reduce water consumption – More than half of residential water use comes from outdoor irrigation and landscaping. Learn how to save water and money by adopting sustainable landscaping practices on the County’s sustainable landscape management webpage. Visit the Valley Water website to learn about rebates for installing drought-tolerant landscaping and other water-conservation measures.
• Household hazardous waste – Some of the waste you produce at home, from batteries and electronics to paint and motor oil, does not belong in your trash bin. Learn how to dispose of household hazardous waste (HHW) properly and make a free HHW drop-off appointment on the County’s household hazardous waste webpage. 
• Creek cleanups – Trash and litter that wind up in creeks don’t just harm wildlife habitat and detract from the beauty of our natural landscape. They can also flow out to San Francisco Bay and the ocean, contributing to larger environmental problems. Help make a difference by signing up for a cleanup through the Creek Connections Action Group. 
• Beautification and other volunteer opportunities – The County of Santa Clara Parks & Recreation Department is offering a variety of events this month in honor of Earth Day and Arbor Day. Check out the department’s volunteer events webpage for more information about opportunities to improve and beautify our parks and open spaces. 
• Cutting down on paper – Save trees and tax dollars by choosing to view your voting materials electronically. There are more than 1 million registered voters in Santa Clara County, and all of them get a printed voting guide in the mail, unless they opt out of paper materials in favor of an electronic format. It’s quick and easy to opt out of paper materials online! 
• Farmers markets – One of the most healthful and sustainable things you can do is shop at local farmers markets. Buying food grown in the South Bay supports local farmers, cuts down on greenhouse-gas emissions created by transporting food, and helps make our region more climate resilient.
• Free trees – Trees beautify our neighborhoods, remove carbon from the atmosphere, and provide shade that reduces the urban heat island effect. If you live in eligible areas of San José or other communities, you may be able to get free trees through Our City Forest’s Cool and Green Communities Initiative.
• Induction cooktop webinar – The County Office of Sustainability is hosting a free Zoom webinar on Tuesday, April 23, with celebrity chef Martin Yan, who will give a demonstration of an induction cooktop and talk about the health and safety benefits of adopting these electric stovetops in your kitchen. The presentation will be in English with live Mandarin translation available. For more information or to sign up, visit the event’s registration page. 

We hope you have a wonderful and green Earth Month. If you have any questions about the County’s sustainability programs, call the Office of Sustainability at (408) 993-4760​, email [email protected], or visit the office’s website.