Sept Newsletter
The Aquifer, the River, and the Stuff We Pour Down Our Drain. They Are All Connected
By Elizabeth Melville
I gasped, then screeched as I bobbed to the surface of the beautiful aquamarine swimming hole along the Spokane River at Mirabeau Park. The water was ICE cold, rivaling any alpine lake I had ever swam in.
It was a hot Saturday night in August, and a friend of mine and I had driven to the river to cool off. Other than a few kayakers who were taking their boats out of the water, we were all alone.
How could this water be so cold? It had been a hot summer.
As we warmed ourselves on the rocks along the shore, we looked down into the crystal-clear depths. We saw layers of rock that jutted into the water, a few fish, and sadly, aluminum cans, plastic cups, and what looked like an old lawn chair now covered in fuzzy beige silt.
After taking another polar plunge, we hiked up the river-worn basalt towards the parking lot, and stepped over plastic bottles, tall cups with lids and straws, fishing line, odd papers, an old diaper, and a pair of boys' underpants.
The images of all the garbage around the river woke me that night. I pictured it all washing into the river when the water rose; I could only go back to sleep after resolving to return the next day to pick up the trash. And while feeling better after picking up this section of the riverbank, I knew that the garbage I had collected was just a drop in the bucket of the pollutants that will end up in the river; water from storm drains and water from our households (although treated) end up in the river.
I became particularly focused on the toxins I use, so I pulled out multiple bottles from my cupboards and saw the words that had convinced me to purchase them: "Kills 99.9 percent of BACTERIA and VIRUSES," "Removes soap scum, grease and tough stains," "Disinfectant, Kills household germs, cuts through grease and grime!"
When I looked closer, I also saw the words on the back of these products in small print stating: "Keep out of the reach of children," "Hazardous to humans and domestic animals," and "Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling and before eating, drinking, chewing gum, or using tobacco."
Are these products making my family safer? And where do they go after they leave my house?
I asked these questions to a few local experts. Kyle Arrington, the plant manager with Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility (RPWRF), was confident that RPWRF does a good job cleaning our water and filtering out most toxins. However, he also stated that residents should limit the amount of bleach, solvents, and synthetic cleaners that they pour down their drains.
Jule Schultz, from Spokane's Riverkeeper, emphasized that, "What we pour down our drain absolutely matters to our river!"
He said that while our household water was treated well, the amount of chemicals that return to the river is hard to measure because they are mixed with a huge volume of water.
Jule also solved the mystery of why the water at Mirabeau Park was so cold. He told me that the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, which provides Spokane's residents their drinking water, has a give-and-take relationship with the Spokane River. In some sections of the river, the river feeds the aquifer, and in other sections, the aquifer feeds the river. Above Mirabeau Park, around the Sullivan Bridge, ground springs fill the river. Last August, when the river was at a record low, our swimming hole was filled with water from the aquifer.
I did not know previously that the aquifer and the river were so intimately connected.
And while I am grateful that what goes down our household drains goes through the RPWRF, I would prefer to avoid having products that say "Hazardous to Humans and Domestic Animals" be in my home, and eventually in our river.
There are other reasons to avoid commercial cleaners
By Elizabeth Melville
PLASTIC, PLASTIC, PLASTIC!
Commercial cleaners are usually sold in single-use plastic bottles, each of which has a symbol indicating it is recyclable. However, these labels really mean that, MAYBE in PERFECT circumstances, that container could be recycled. The real purpose of these labels is to make consumers feel good about taking home plastics. The label creates the illusion that if the container is thrown in the recycle bin, it will not end up in the landfill. What is not stated on the packaging is that only 10 percent of all the plastics that have ever been made have been recycled. Some of the reasons for this include: cost, use of mixed materials that can’t be separated, and the fact that most plastics cannot be 1:1 recycled, but rather only downcycled.
But there is hope, and change coming. Last year Washingtonians decided enough is enough. They passed the Recycling Reform Act, an extended producer responsibility law that holds producers of plastic and other packaging materials responsible for the full lifecycle of those materials; incentivizing less packaging and use of truly recyclable or compostable materials.
Other Cleaning Options
There are different ways of cleaning our homes and our clothes than using commercially made chemicals. Making your own simple products from biodegradable substances is easy and cost-efficient. Here are a few recipes to try. I find they work great and take little time to make.
2 TBS= (1 load)
4 cups of baking soda
3 cups of washing soda
1 bar of pure castile soap
Grate the soap and mix with the baking soda and washing soda. I put it in a food processor so the castile soap is in small pieces.
Basic All-Purpose Cleaner
1 cup of water
2 tablespoons of vinegar
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Soap scum cleaner:
Baking soda and a little elbow grease
Disinfectant:
Hydrogen Peroxide
Dryer:
A clothesline
And, if all of this seems too hard, perhaps you just need to visit the PLUCKY DUCK!
By Elizabeth Melville
Eco-friendly household cleaners can be bought at a refillery, where products can be purchased by weight in refillable containers.
Lucky for Spokane, Christine Aranda recently opened a soap store and refillery, which she named The PLUCKY DUCK, located at 707 N Cedar, in the West Central District, a few blocks North of Kendall Yards.
She started this business after asking herself the question:
"How can I make a difference?"
Worried that our throwaway culture would leave nothing for our children, she decided to create a space where neighbors could come together to make soap, shop for unique new or used wares, and fill reusable containers with eco-friendly household cleaners.
I decided to visit the shop for myself. When I opened the door to Christine's store, I smelled citrus and lavender wafting through the air and saw racks containing large jugs of cleaning products. I filled a plastic container I had brought from home with laundry soap and then looked around. A few unique features of the shop that I especially liked included a children’s corner with books and toys, and a long empty table that sat ready to be used by crafters making soap.
The most delightful thing I found in the Plucky Duck that day were wool dryer balls. These hand-felted white balls decorated with cheerful creatures called for me to touch them. These nubby, soft textured balls felt weighted in my hands. I read the sign on the wall behind them and learned that they were natural fabric softeners that reduced wrinkles and static. I bought six, each decorated with a different creature: an avocado man, a lobster, a caterpillar, an earth man, and two butterflies.
I am happy to report the soap left my laundry clean and bright, and the wool dryer balls left my clothes soft and wrinkle-free. At Christmas time, I plan to decorate my house with wool dryer balls which will double as gifts on Christmas day. Doesn’t everyone need a lobster and a caterpillar to do their laundry with?
Tip of the Month
Keep Tupperware, or a cleaned to-go container in your car along with your reusable bags. These containers can be used for restaurant leftovers.
Community Benefit: Saves the restaurant money, Demonstrates easy waste reductions solutions to others.
Spokane Zero Waste in the Community
At the end of last month we celebrated the diverse cultures of Spokane with Cultural Connections. This event was a collaboration between SZW, Rogue Heart Media and the North Monroe Business District and was funded by an ARPA grant to highlight and improve the business district.
August 23, 2025 ended up being one of the hottest days of the year in Spokane, driving home just how important it is that we take action now to improve our communities resilience and adaptability for a changing climate. This fact was relevant to our event as climate change only intensifies issues that drive many immigrants and refugees away from their homes.
Despite the heat Cultural Connections was a joyful celebration that brought people together in community. The event featured a new mural on the side of the Afghani Grocer designed by Mallory Battista and painted with the help of community members, and pedestrian crossing flags made from upcycled materials by Saima Kohistani, a graduate of ReCraftLAB’s training program. We also had a ReCraftLAB booth showcasing upcycled goods from a variety of graduates, including our newest creation, an insulated lunch tote lined with banners from Expo ‘74.
Kathlyn Kinney
Founder of Biomethane LLC with her new lunch tote and matching utensil roll
Manzanita House and The International Rescue Committee volunteers were there highlighting their programs along with food and treats from Lem’s Ice Cream Truck and Razzle Cotton Candy. A big thank you to our partners and to the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, administrators for the funds, for making this event possible.
Mender’s Corner
Featured Mender: Michelle Eames
How did you learn to sew/mend?
I learned to sew from my mom. She gave me a Montgomery Wards sewing machine as a pre-teen. I could sew clothes with a pattern, but was never a skilled or particularly careful sewer. I was more of a practical sewer than a seamstress. I do remember adding bright cloth to my jeans to lengthen them, and am amused that embellished jeans are back in style.
Do you have a particularly memorable item you've mended for yourself or for another person?
I have learned a lot from the other menders, and in particular was intrigued with how to patch and mend jeans: add a patch or a piece of cloth and then zig zag back and forth and back and forth and up and down. So I mended my husband's favorite work pants. Then they wore out in a different spot. I mended them again, and now they need another mending. I wonder how many times you can mend a pair of pants? I am a bit disappointed that my husband does not allow me to add bright cloth to embellish his work pants.
What inspires you to volunteer for SZW?
A couple years ago my son brought home two vintage sewing machines. One worked, and one needed repairs. I learned how to repair it. Then friends started giving me their old machines to fix up. I was thrilled to keep the old machines out of the landfill. Soon, I thought I better start
Upcoming Events
See our Events page for details and more!!
Join Spokane Zero Waste at our first ever Open House at our new location!
Meet board members and volunteers, connect on ways you can get involved, and see our brand new space.
You could even win a great raffle prize!
We look forward to meeting you!
Sunday, October 19th, 1-3pm.
2026 Hamilton Street (cross street Ermina)
Night Market & Street Fair 9/12 5-9pm, Catalyst Building Parking Lot
601 E Riverside Ave, Spokane, WA 99202
Don’t miss this unique event that also happens to feature our waste sorting stations!
Alena Horowitz, creator of the Night Market & Street Fair is committed to changing the waste footprint of outdoor events. She partnered with SZW to reduce upstream waste through vendor education on food serviceware and to ensure waste produced makes it to the right place.
Our waste sorters help attendees separate food, recycling and garbage.
Ensuring food waste gets composted reduces the amount of methane released into the atmosphere. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Washington state has a goal of reducing total food waste generated by 50% by 2030 and to reduce edible food waste by at least half. You can learn more about our states food waste goals in the Use Food Well Washington Plan
Have an event you’d like to make more sustainable? Contact us at info@SpokaneZeroWaste.org
