Each year, through participation in the EEK! program, the Livermore District schools are diverting 75% (over 400 tons) of school-generated waste from landfills, resulting in a potential savings of more than $75,000 in waste hauling fees.

Nearly every time we eat, shop or work we end up making garbage.   In one year, Americans make enough garbage to fill a line of garbage trucks halfway to the moon.

What's EEK! all about?

Since public awareness is the key to reducing solid waste, EEK!'s primary goal is to introduce solid waste issues, and to provide an environment in which to find and implement solutions.

Since 1995, EEK Director David Darlington has visited Livermore public and private school classrooms using games, art projects, and activities to introduce and inspire use of the 4Rs:                  

                              Reduce

                              Reuse

                              Recycle

                              Rot

How does EEK! do it?

A hundred years ago, people made very little garbage.  Material goods were hard to come by and people reused everything they could.  However, with the advent of mass-production and advertising, considerably more waste is created.

Thanks to voter awareness, Californians have recognized the need for proactive policies that encourage solid waste diversion:

Why is EEK! important?

The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (AB939) required cities to divert 50% of solid waste from landfills over a ten-year period.  By 2000, Livermore had achieved 51% solid waste diversion.

The Alameda County Waste Reduction & Recycling Charter Amendment (Measure D), approved by voters in 1990, includes a policy goal for cities to divert 75% of solid waste from landfills by the end of 2010.

The School Diversion and Environmental Education Law (DEEL, formerly referred to as SB373) encourages school districts to coordinate with local government to divert solid waste from landfills.

Reaching more than 10,000 Livermore students annually, EEK! is helping create a generation of environmentally aware students who are growing up incorporating waste reduction practices into their lifestyles, helping protect our resources, saving tax payers' money, and setting a positive example for future generations.

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