Yolo County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

Compost bin showing vegetables to be composted

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Compost your organic waste at home.

California sends 11.2 billion pounds of food waste to landfills yearly. Lead by example by separating your food waste at home. Keep your indoor bin tidy by lining it with newspaper.

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Sort your recyclables from household waste.

Protect Yolo County's soil health by separating glass, plastic, non-ferrous metals, organics, and recyclable cardboard and paper from the family waste stream for recycling.

Laundry hanging on a clothes line in the sun

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Sun dry laundry at least once a week when weather permits.

A family of four can spend $20–$40 monthly on dryer electricity in Yolo County. Save money and energy by hang-drying your clothes at least once a week.

Ground-mounted solar panels in a field in front of hills

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Enroll in Valley Clean Energy's UltraGreen option.

Choosing VCE’s 100% renewable and carbon-free electricity option UltraGreen is an easy way to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and create a more sustainable Yolo County.

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Turn off lights and power strips when not in use.

All members of household commit to turning off light switches when they leave rooms and turning off power strips to computers, printers, and TVs when they are not in use.

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Set thermostat to 78 degrees in summer and 62 degrees at night in winter.

Set your thermostat to 78°F in summer and 62°F on winter nights to cut heating and cooling costs, and reduce your energy use. Smart thermostats can help automate this for you—rebates are available through Golden State Rebates and PG&E!

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Retrofit home with 100% LED lighting.

Retrofitting your entire home with LED lights can save you as much as $600 per year! Yolo County offers free LED lights in our weatherization kits.

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Retrofit home to be 100% electric.

Making the commitment to fully retrofit your home to be 100% electric shows a deep commitment to taking care of your neighbors by protecting the environment.

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Retrofit home with PV solar.

Retrofitting your household with PV can save you hundreds on your electric bill per year.

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Retrofit home with battery storage system.

Did you know that installing PV Solar and battery storage can protect you from rolling blackouts, keeping your house cool all summer long?

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Ride a bike or walk to destinations that are 2 miles or less.

Choosing active transportation when possible helps reduce traffic, improve air quality, and support safer, more connected communities

Electric vehicle with its charger port behind it

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Use electric vehicles for commuting.

Make the switch to an electric vehicle (EV) for your daily commute!

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Join a carpool program.

Reduce your carbon emissions by ridesharing. Earn discounts at local restaurants and businesses through the NorCalGo app.

A public bus with a few people on the side

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Use public transit to replace one car trip per week!

Besides lowering your carbon footprint, taking public transportation has a number of co-benefits, like extra time to catch up on emails and a chance to build connections within your community.

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Take domestic carbon neutral travel during vacation.

Consider a "staycation" here in Yolo County!

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Have a backyard garden or participate in community garden.

The care and consideration you put into your garden will not only keep you and your loved ones fed and healthy, it will lower your households CO2 emissions!

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Prioritize locally grown produce and food.

Shop at farmers markets and other local focused food sources.

Two hands with gloves holding a detergent and a cloth

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Use biodegradable free and clear soaps/detergents/cleaners.

Your choice to switch to biodegradable soaps and cleaning products is not only safer for your health, but improves the ecosystem health of water bodies downstream.

Reusable Grocery Bag with avocados and green apples

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Use reusable shopping bags in place of single-use plastic

Switching to reusable bags helps reduce plastic waste and keep our waterways, landscapes, and communities cleaner.

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Use recycled paper for printing.

Did you know that using recycled paper can save 70% of water compared to making paper from new wood pulp?

Image of large blue barn with "Thrift Store" on floral background.

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Prioritize used or retrofitted appliances, furniture, clothing rather than new.

Help save perfectly good household items from ending up in a landfill.

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Use rain barrels to collect roof runoff for irrigation.

Harvest rainwater to irrigate your yard sustainably and reduce runoff into local waterways.

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Retrofit your washer drain for graywater irrigation.

Reusing water from your washing machine can reduce outdoor water use and make the most of every drop.

Take Action!

Compost your organic waste at home.

Sort your recyclables from household waste.

Sun dry laundry at least once a week when weather permits.

Enroll in Valley Clean Energy's UltraGreen option.

Turn off lights and power strips when not in use.

Set thermostat to 78 degrees in summer and 62 degrees at night in winter.

Retrofit home with 100% LED lighting.

Retrofit home to be 100% electric.

Retrofit home with PV solar.

Retrofit home with battery storage system.

Ride a bike or walk to destinations that are 2 miles or less.

Use electric vehicles for commuting.

Join a carpool program.

Use public transit to replace one car trip per week!

Take domestic carbon neutral travel during vacation.

Have a backyard garden or participate in community garden.

Prioritize locally grown produce and food.

Use biodegradable free and clear soaps/detergents/cleaners.

Use reusable shopping bags in place of single-use plastic

Use recycled paper for printing.

Prioritize used or retrofitted appliances, furniture, clothing rather than new.

Use rain barrels to collect roof runoff for irrigation.

Retrofit your washer drain for graywater irrigation.