2023 Nora Davis Coastal Cleanup - Sept. 23

Mark your calendars and tell your friends - the annual Emeryville Coastal Cleanup event in honor of Nora Davis will be happening Saturday, September 23rd from 9am – 12pm! This is a great chance to get out, meet your neighbors, and have some fun while keeping Emeryville’s shoreline clean! Free coffee, snacks, and tools provided! 

We are encouraging you to download and use the CleanSwell App to easily log trash, paper forms and pencils will also be available. Please bring gloves, masks, and grabbing tools if you have them, limited supplies will also be available.

Where: 2333 Powell Street (next to Fire Station)
When: 9 a.m. and on (rolling start)
Bring: Reusable water/coffee bottle, collection bags/pails, work gloves. Limited tools available for use. 
Wear: Sturdy shoes, layers, sunscreen, hat

Parking will be limited, please consider an alternate form of transportation such as walking, biking (racks noted above), public transit or new shared mobility options. We look forward to seeing you there!

2023 Bike to Work Day

Bike to Work Day 2023 is Thursday, May 18! Come on out 7am - 9am to any of our four stations across Emeryville to get pumped up with some morning goodies, bike-based activities, and free bike swag

Locations

Join CLIF BAR and AC Transit for a pedal-powered extravaganza! If you're on your way to work or  out for a roll with your kids, there's something for everyone! Start with some DIY bike art or try your hand at the AC Transit practice bike mount while enjoying come coffee and Clif Bar goodies near the newly energized Greenway bicycle and pedestrian counter!

2023 Bulky Spring Cleanup April 17 & 18

All residential buildings* within the designated areas are eligible for the free "Spring Cleanup" bulky pickup event scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, April 17 and 18.

Place your bulky items (no more than two cubic yards, approximately 16 trash bags) at your curb on your regularly scheduled pickup day for removal. Residents of larger apartment complexes should contact their apartment manager for removal instructions.  Please see here for additional pickup guidelines. 

Designated Pickup Zones [by address]

In addition to the Spring Cleanup bulky event, all residential account holders in the cleanup area are entitled to one free on-call pickup annually.  Residential multi-family account holders outside of the cleanup area are entitled to two free on-call pickups annually with properties greater than 500 units entitled to four. Account holders should call Waste Management at 510-613-8710 to schedule additional bulky item pick-ups.

2023 Earth Day Shoreline Cleanup 

Looking for ways to celebrate Earth Day and beautify the community? Look no further - come on out Sunday, April 23rd to the annual Emeryville Earth Day Shorebird Park Cleanup any time from 9am – noon! 

Snacks and refreshments provided, we look forward to seeing you out there!

Meet at Shorebird Park (see map below)
As always, bring what you can, and we’ll have limited supply for those who show up without:

•    Gloves (work or latex) to pick up litter
•    Grabber/pick up tool
•    Garden digging claw to dig below the surface
•    Re-usables:  Coffee mug, water bottle means less disposables!

Parking behind Chevy's

Chevy’s front parking lot is closed until they open for the day but they have offered use of their back parking lot and lot across the street instead. Consider walking, biking, or Emery Go-Round if you can!  

Remember: 80% of the water-litter comes from land sources.  You can help reduce it by picking it up wherever you see it and reducing disposable plastic use.

Check back here or contact Matt Anderson at zerowaste@emeryville.org for more information.

Clean City Program

The Clean City trash cleanup equipment lending program is designed to enable community groups, businesses, churches, schools, and other organizations to play an active role in keeping public spaces clean and beautiful, while allowing them to set their own schedule.

Similar to 'adopt-a-spot', the City of Emeryville has free equipment for loan including trash grabbers, pails, bags, rakes and trowels for groups wanting to do one-time or ongoing cleanups. If you have a group of 5+ people interested in conducting a cleanup, please contact zerowaste@emeryville.org for more details. Thank you for your interest in keeping Emeryville clean, we look forward to hearing from you!

Induction Cooktop Program

The City of Emeryville is collaborating with East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), Emeryville's local power provider, to offer an induction cooktop lending program for Emeryville residents. Any resident can try out an induction cooktop for free. Learn more below.
 
If you haven't heard of induction cooktops, don't worry--you're not alone. Induction cooktops use electromagnetism to transfer energy directly to a pot or pan. The cooktop doesn't create heat unless it touches a magnetic surface, such as an iron or steel pan. Watch this video to learn more about the power of induction cooking. Induction cooktops are safer, more efficient, and produce fewer emissions than natural gas cooktops. Try one out for yourself! 

How the Induction Cooktop Program Works

If you are an Emeryville resident, you are eligible to try out one of our free induction cooktops! 

Here’s how it works:

1. Sign up for this program using this Google form. Signing up is free and all you need is some basic contact information. If you cannot access the Google form, you can email city staff at zerowaste@emeryville.org with your name and contact information and you will be contacted. This is on a first-come, first-serve basis, so sign-up early!

2. A City staff member will contact you to confirm your reservation. Once contacted for your pickup, you can come to City Hall (1333 Park Avenue, Emeryville) to retrieve the cooktop unit. For individuals with physical limitations, you can arrange a socially distant pickup and/or drop-off.  

3. Use your induction cooktop! The cooktop can plug into any standard electrical socket. The cooktop will come with additional usage instructions, and there are some handy resources linked below. If you haven’t used one before, don’t worry--the induction experience is new for a lot of people. We encourage you to try using it for different things, such as boiling water, sautéing, or frying your favorite dishes. Click here to learn more about how to use your induction cooktop, and what is included in the program. 

4. After 2-3 weeks, you must return your cooktop unit to the City. Please be respectful of the loan timeframe. We want as many Emeryvillains to have the chance to use the cooktop as possible!

What is included?

In your cooktop package is: one single-burner induction cooktop (Max Burton 1800 Watt Digital Induction Cooktop, PN 6450), one 8” stainless steel stir fry pan, one 2¾ quart sauce pan, instructions on how to use and clean your cooktop, and additional educational materials about induction cooktops. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Do I have to pay to use this service?
A: No, you do not. This is a free opportunity to try out a new, modern kitchen appliance.

Q: Why is the City doing this?
A: The City is pursuing this project because appliances that use natural gas (such as gas stoves) emit greenhouse gas emissions and are less healthy than electric alternatives. Electric appliances can use electricity that is generated from carbon-free sources, such as rooftop solar or EBCE's Renewable 100 service plan. Replacing gas stoves with electric alternatives like induction cooktops is an important climate action you can take at home.

Q: Are there other ways to reduce my greenhouse gas emissions?
A: I’m glad you asked! You can check out another useful webpage here.

Q: I love my induction cooktop! Do you have any information on how to buy one?
A: BayREN offers up to $750 rebate if you choose to purchase a new cooktop. There are a few types of induction cooktops you can install. The ones we loan out plug into a typical kitchen outlet. If you want a larger unit, you may have to change your electrical outlet. Please do additional research before making a final decision.

If you have further questions, please email zerowaste@emeryville.org, or visit the resources below.

Additional Resources on Induction Cooking

• Detailed description of the science behind induction cooktops, including how they work, their benefits, and their drawbacks. (Explain That Stuff, 2021)
• Factsheet about home electrification: induction stoves and cooktops. (Berkeley Electrification Working Group, 2019). 
• Factsheet about induction cooking safety and radiation concerns. (Rocky Mountain Institute, 2020). 
• Factsheet about the benefits of induction cooking. (Ecology Center and City of Berkeley, 2019)
• Overview of East Bay Community Energy (EBCE)'s residential  induction cooking program. (EBCE, 2022)
• BayREN currently offers up to $750 rebate on induction cooktops and ranges. 
• Consumer Reports' review on induction cooktop and ranges can be found here.
• WireCutter’s review of portable induction cooktops can be found here.
• Here are two professional chefs teaming up to cook a zero-waste and emissions-free meal using induction cooking and seasonal ingredients
• Another brief overview of induction cooking
• A test of how the cooktop functions while boiling water
• Watch a grilled cheese tutorial here.