Theoretically, it’s a brilliant idea. People still dump polluting e-waste and dangerous chemicals straight into their trash bins because they don’t want to take the time to drop them off at the city’s hazardous waste centers. So why not offer to pick up the waste, getting even lazy people to stop the illegal dumping?

That’s what Santa Monica’s tried to do with its Household Hazardous Waste Home Collection Pilot Program. Launched September last year, the program allows Santa Monica residents to simply email or call to arrange a free pickup of their unwanted hazardous waste, ranging from paint to motor oil to broken laptops.

“The goal is to expand levels of service for residents while reducing costs,” announced the city email last year, inviting residents to take “a few easy steps” to dispose of their junk eco-style.

Sadly, I’ve found this program to be less than ideal. I tried to arrange the pickup service last month for some broken electronics and used up batteries by emailing atyourdoor@wm.com as instructed.

I got no response.

So I tried calling — to be told by a polite woman that the next available pick up time for Santa Monica wasn’t for another three weeks. That meant I had to write down the date of the pick up, remember it, and wake up before 7 am to put my ewaste outside the door on the day they could come by.

I opted to just drop off my ewaste at the old Household Hazardous Waste Center, which is still open on Saturdays — for now. When the pilot program started, the city said it planned to close the center Jan. 1 “if the pilot is successful.” Apparently the program hasn’t been as successful as hoped, because as of now, the center will be open until at least June of this year.

Yes, I reported my experience to the city communications coordinator, Andrew Basmajian, who wrote back thusly: “Your feedback is much appreciated. I’m forwarding to the managers of the program.”

Has anyone else tried to use Santa Monica’s Household Hazardous Waste Home Collection Pilot Program? What was your experience like?

Earlier:
>> The Story of Electronics — and the story of my 4.5-year-old laptop
>> A Superguide for e-recycling: Make money, not e-waste 
>> Oh the things you can recycle 
>> If it is broken, recycle it

>> Come engage in a discussion on community land trusts and intentional housing communities. Learn about how housing can be made affordable and environmentally sustainable through community ownership of the land they live on. This is the first of this year’s Friends Peace Dialogue series by the American Friends Service Committee. Come out this Thu., Feb. 9 at 7 pm to 634 S. Spring St., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles. Cost: free.

>> Recycle old fabrics, deconstruct old clothes, turn something old into something new! Learn how to make scarves bags and other items from old t-shirts at a Valentine’s Day DIY Workshop, this Thu., Feb. 9 from 3:45-4:45 pm at the Santa Monica Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. Cost: free.

>> CicLAvia is hosting a Valentine’s party! Bring your Valentine – or meet a new Valentine there! There will be live music and djs, speed dating (open to all orientations and genders!), auction, swag and more! Come party this Fri., Feb. 10 from 7-10 pm at Atwater Crossing, 3245 Casitas Avenue, Los Angeles. Cost: free, but bring money for eats and treats.

>> Do you have a strong interested in becoming trained in home food preservation (such as canning, pressure canning, freezing, drying, pickling and fermenting)? Want to share this knowledge with the public? The University of California Cooperative Extension is pleased to announce the spring 2012 class of the LA County Master Food Preserver program. The application deadline is this Fri., Feb. 10 at 5 pm. Cost: free to apply online, $120 for the complete program (scholarships available).

>> This week’s Green Garden Academy topic is Lawn Be Gone (part I). Learn tips for safe lawn removal, choosing plants to replace lawn and plants for parkways this Sat., Feb. 11 from 10:30 am – 1:30 pm in the Multipurpose Room of the Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. Cost: free.

>> Join Culver City’s mayor and the Culver City Bicycle Coalition each Monday morning to explore Culver City and beyond, by bike! Meet this Mon., Feb. 13 at 8 am at Sid Kronenthal Park by the covered tables, near the community room, 3459 McManus Ave., Culver City. Cost: free.

>> Join Heal the Bay and Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District at a gathering to recognize work done thus far to build sustainability into local schools by parents and others and that will focus on considering how to ensure institutionalized sustainability in local schools. Takes place on Mon., Feb. 13 from 7-9 pm at Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, 1600 Ocean Front Walk Santa Monica. Cost: free.

>> On the second Tuesday of every month, you’re invited to the only pure networking event for owners and decision-makers of LA’s green businesses, hosted by the Green Business Network (GBN). Delicious organic snacks, wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be available. GBN events are recycling points, so bring any old batteries, phones, or newspapers you need recycled. Join the fun next Tue., Feb. 14 from 6-9 pm at DIRTT (Doing It Right This Time) 9014 Lindblade St. Culver City. Cost: $10 when you prepay online, $15 at the door (space permitting).

Can a city claim green rights?  That was the hot topic of discussion at the latest LA Bioneers meeting, which brought local eco-concerned citizens together on a late Tuesday night. Why? The Santa Monica City Council just voted late last month to incorporate a “Sustainability Bill of Rights” into the city’s Sustainable City Plan.

The Bill of Rights, among other things, gives individuals more green rights — including the right to sue in the name of nature, the right to clean potable water, energy, soil, air, and the right to sustainable food.  Applaudable goals, but are they feasible?  We’ll have to wait until early fall to find out how they plan to pull it off. Fall is when the city anticipates announcing provisions and policy changes to the current Sustainable City Plan.  Financial impacts have yet to be defined.  It’s likely that implementing such goals will come at a cost.

According to Shannon Biggs of Global Exchange, an activist of green policy reform at the local level and a speaker at Tuesday’s Bioneers meeting, 140 communities in the United States have passed similar ordinances and are successfully banning actions such as “fracking”, water withdrawal, factory farming, and uranium mining. Biggs believes change must come from the grassroots level.  She delivered a call for united action when she said: “we’re often so divided in our work – I’m a food activist, I’m a forest activist…” She encourages us to find the “Rosa Parks” in each of us and stand up for our civil rights. 

For more information on similar movements, Global Exchange’s People to People Blog is a good place to start.

>> Sustainable Works’ 2012 Los Angeles Green Living Workshops are back this year! Get solutions to some of today’s greatest environmental challenges and save money in the process. The first workshop is this Wed., Jan. 25 from 7 – 8:30 pm at G2 Gallery, 1503 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice. Cost: free for residents of Santa Monica and Los Angeles Districts 5 & 11. Register online.

>> Steve Glenn, founder and CEO of LivingHomes, gives the talk “High Design; Low Impact. Building LivingHomes” on modern, prefabricated homes that combine world-class architecture with an unparalleled commitment to healthy and sustainable construction this Wed., Jan 25 from 7-8 pm at CODA Experience Center, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., #133, Los Angeles. Cost free, though RSVP required: concierge@codaautomotive.com.

>> Find the freshest and most healthy ingredients, enjoy personally crafted foods from home cooks and local kitchens, and discover healing foods both old and new at Eat Well Market. They will feature hand-made and hand-grown foods from backyards and kitchens around LA. Join the fun Sat., Jan 29 from 12-3 pm at Camp Mariposa, 615 E. Mariposa St., Altadena. Cost: free.

>> Get a closer look at the precious resource right beneath our feet and learn about the science of soil with our experts at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles’ Sustainable Sundays this Sun., Jan. 29 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles. Cost: free with museum admission. Tickets are $12 for adults, $5-8 for children.

>> Los Angeles Bioneers is hosting Shannon Biggs who will talk about her work on passing a “Sustainability Bill of Rights” ordinance in Santa Monica, which would strip personhood rights from corporations and give rights to ecosystems instead. Takes place next Tue., Jan 31 at 7 pm at G2 Gallery, 1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice. Cost: free with RSVP to srnichols@mac.com.

>> Come learn about the money available to SoCal homeowners who make energy-saving improvements. There is currently up to $8000 available per household, with some of the rebates will expiring in March. $200 in rebates will be given away. Come for a presentation about the program with contractors available to answer questions next Tue., Jan. 31 from 6:30 – 8 pm. Cost: free.

>> The City of Los Angeles wants yet more studies on the effects of bag bans before taking any action — nevermind that many, many studies have already been done and many L.A. County cities AND L.A. County have already banned the plastic bag.

>> According to LAist, “Several City Council members have pledged to get the measure passed before March 31, 2012 – before the state Legislature’s spring break.” Let’s hope that really happens.

>> Heal the Bay, the local nonprofit spearheading the bag ban effort, sounds optimistic. Mark Gold, head honcho at Heal the Bay, seems to believe that the city’s call for more studies “sends a loud message to Sacramento to move forward with a statewide ban.” That statewide effort failed back in August 2011. Think it’ll happen in 2012?

>> Last but not least — Santa Monica banned the plastic bag in September, and I’ve noticed many people are either bringing their own bags or doing without at stores since that time. What’s your experience been so far?

Earlier: Styrofoam and the City: The fate of plastic bags and polystyrene in LA

Photo by Kate Ter Harr