SSE Supports AB 341

Members of the Sustainable Surplus team will be at the San Diego Board of Supervisors’ meeting tomorrow, January 9, to support the proposed revision of Assembly Bill 341.

AB 341 requires businesses that produce four cubic yards of waste or more weekly to recycle. It also sets a state goal of achieving 75% landfill diversion by 2020.

The proposed ordinance by SD Solid Waste Planning & Recycling department would increase diversion of business waste from landfill disposal. The County’s current ordinance requires businesses 20,000 square feet or larger to recycle specified materials. The proposed ordinance would be in accordance with the State mandate for businesses at four cubic yards of waste.

As a result, the ordinance would increase the amount of materials recycled in the unincorporated area of the county, assist the County to continue to meet state-mandated goals and requirements, conserve landfill capacity and encourage investment in the recycling and waste reduction industry. 

SSE Attends Vista Chamber Government Affairs Meeting

SSE attended the Vista Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs committee luncheon today.  Guest speaker John Dadian, a long-time political analyst discussed the “state of the affairs” at the national, state and county level and gave his perspective on the “fiscal cliff.” Chamber CEO, Bret Schanzenbach, and committee members gave updates on recent developments in Vista & the region, including Vista's General  Plan.

SSE to Attend Economic Trends Forum

Sustainable Surplus will be attending the annual “Economic Trends for San Diego” breakfast hosted by the San Diego Business Journal on January 3.  The event will focus on the major trends in 2012 and the industry indicators for 2013. Randy Frisch, president and publisher of SDBJ will be moderating a panel of regional experts to indicate what's in store for San Diego this year.  The panel includes:  Mark Vinter, managing director and senior economist at Wells Fargo; Trindl Reeves, principal and chief sales officer at Barney & Barney; Tom van Bretten, senior tenant advisor at Cassidy Turley, and Mary Ann Barnes, senior vice president at Kaiser Permanente.

SDGE Campaign Clears Clutter

It was time to “Clear the Clutter.”  That is what SDG&E called their internal campaign to raise the conscious of its employees about their stockpile of non-used items. 

We are all guilty of it – hanging on to those items we are sure we will use again.  They get stuffed into drawers, onto shelves, pushed to the back of closets.  And more often times than not, those items are never used again; they just collect dust.

Fast forward to Clear the Clutter - the result of an on-going sustainability initiative by director of facilities, John Ritter.

Clear the Clutter targeted office supplies and small office furniture.  The project was coordinated with Sustainable Surplus Exchange (SSE).

“This is our third project with SDG&E and we continue to be impressed with the level of the employees’ involvement,” said SSE executive director, Sue Prelozni. 

Over the course of a week the employees at the Century Park complex deposited their surplus into containers strategically placed at each building.  At the end of the week the items were vetted by SDG&E for redeployment, donation and disposal.

Clear the Clutter contributed almost 300 boxes of office supplies, and a sundry of file cabinets, chairs, whiteboards and commercial wall art.  These items were added to the inventory for SSE’s Holiday BYOB (Bring Your Own Box) event.  

Holiday BYOB Helps Over 50

  

Over 50 people participated in the Sustainable Surplus holiday Bring Your Own Box (BYOB) event this month.  “It was our biggest BYOB yet,” commented Sue Prelozni, executive director. And 75 percent of the attendees were from local schools. “No one left empty-handed,” she added.

Everyone was invited to bring one box of any size and fill it with FREE office supplies.  “People were very creative about the size and shape of their boxes,” said Prelozni. The free items included staplers, file folders, tape and dispensers, 3-hole punches, pens and papers.  Several attendees also purchased cork boards, whiteboards and commercial wall art.

To fill an additional box cost a donation of five dollars.  Participants were also encouraged to take a free box of 3-ring binders.

Of the many gracious comments made by the recipients, the one which said it most succinctly – “This could not have happened at a better time.”  

Warehouse Space Donated by HG Fenton

HG Fenton donated 2700’ of warehouse and office space to Sustainable Surplus Exchange. This generous donation will help SSE provide an interim storage space for donor’s surplus until a recipient match is made.

“This is a huge help because it gives us time to manage the surplus. And it give items that could be destined for landfill a second chance to be repurposed,” says SSE director, Sue Prelozni.  The space is already half full and inventory turns quickly. 
New items come in every week, added Prelozni.

Quintiles Donates to SSE

Press Release:  San Diego – June 26, 2012 – Quintiles recently donated $5000 to local nonprofit Sustainable Surplus Exchange.  This contribution makes Quintiles one of SSE’s largest financial sponsors to date.

“We chose to contribute to the efforts of Sustainable Surplus because it follows our corporate commitment to promote sustainability and support our community,” said Michael Acosta, Sr. Facilities Coordinator .

Sustainable Surplus accepts donated surplus assets from companies and repurposes them throughout the community.  The major beneficiaries are schools and charitable organizations.  SSE’s mission is to keep excess out of the landfill by prolonging the useful life of items.

“This funding will directly support our operations and help us continue the Exchanges to our members,” said founder and executive director Sue Prelozni.  “At our last Exchange, the BYOB – Bring Your Own Box event, we gave away over 75 cases of office supplies.” 

Quintiles had also donated office furniture, namely chairs, to the Exchange.  All of the chairs were repurposed within two weeks to local charter schools and nonprofits. 

Last year, Sustainable Surplus donated over $160,000 worth of assets to 42 organizations; 80 percent were schools.  Prelozni added, “This year we are on track to triple those numbers.”

To donate surplus items, donors may contact SSE via their website, www.SustainableSurplus.org . The kinds of assets accepted are described on the website.