San Mateo County Sustainability

The San Mateo County government department that runs the county's climate, waste, water and education programs, and the most dependable source of free public sustainability events on the Peninsula.

Who it's actually for

Anyone who lives in San Mateo County and wants to do something concrete this month rather than meet people who talk about it. This is the practical end of the spectrum: bring a broken lamp to a repair clinic, learn what actually goes in the green bin, get your household off gas, walk a king tide shoreline.

Set expectations accordingly. There is no membership, no mixer and no Slack. If what you want is a professional network in climate, that is 9Zero, Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, or the Value Economy Network on the Peninsula. If what you want is a Saturday that leaves you with a working appliance and a smaller gas bill, this is the best thing on the Peninsula and it costs nothing.

Two audiences it serves better than most people realize. High school students, through the Youth Climate Ambassadors leadership program. And small business owners, through the Green Business Program, which certifies local businesses on water, waste and energy practices and is one of the few public lists of values-aligned Peninsula businesses that actually exists.

What they run

Five program areas: waste reduction, including composting and the SB 1383 food scrap requirements; greenhouse gas reduction, including the Community Climate Action Plan and electric vehicle programs; climate resilience planning; water protection; and education.

On the ground that shows up as free workshops and repair clinics, often run with Fixit Clinic and hosted in county libraries, plus King Tides community events and the Youth Climate Ambassadors program for high schoolers.

What it costs

Free. It is a county department funded by public money, and its public events are open to residents at no charge.

Where

Offices at 455 County Center, 4th Floor, Redwood City, a short walk from the Redwood City Caltrain station. Open Monday through Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, Fridays by appointment.

The events themselves move around the county, most often into public libraries in Burlingame, San Mateo, Daly City and points south, so check each listing for location rather than assuming Redwood City.

How to start

Go to the next Fixit Clinic with something broken under your arm. Drop-ins are welcome, registering ahead just helps them plan how many repair coaches to bring, and you will leave having actually fixed a thing.