May
2006
Recycling
Tips from Recycle This!
By Christina J. Salvi |
Unwanted computers and electronics
Computer waste is everywhere, and fortunately most people want to keep
their toxins—lead, cadmium, mercury, etc.—out of landfills
and incinerators. For working items, we offer the Freecycle New York
City group, where people can find new homes for things. There is also
Per Scholas (www.perscholas.org),
a Bronx nonprofit that recycles broken equipment and reconditions some
working items to provide to schools
and low-income families at an affordable price. Electronics recycling
collections are also hosted by Recycle This! and the Lower East Side
Ecology Center a few times a year in various locations throughout the
city. Some companies offer to take back items, so visit the manufacturer’s
website to see if they will accept your spent e-waste. New York City
does not have a consistent program in place to take electronics off
the curb for recycling, but there is a bill before the City Council
that would place the responsibility on manufacturers to take back and
pay for electronic waste. Talk to your City Councilperson if you support
this!
Plastic bags
Paper or plastic? How about organic cotton or hemp?! The best thing
you can do to mitigate your plastic bag “problem” is to
stop using them. Keep a few totes in your home and office for use any
time. Look for free tote bags on Freecycle, and maybe offer up your
old plastic bags to dog walkers on the list. Some supermarkets do accept
plastic bags for recycling if you are in a hurry to purge your collection—but
remember, waste prevention is the key!
Recycling in the workplace
Paper recycling in the workplace is required by law, yet most people
in NYC office buildings are convinced there is no recycling going on.
If your efforts to find the program go nowhere, call 311 and report
the situation anonymously. The number one tip for recycling paper is:
keep it dry. Relatively clean paper can be resold by commercial waste
haulers, making it cost-effective to keep it out of landfills—so
keep the wet stuff in your kitchen garbage. Unfortunately, New York
City does not require bottle and can recycling in office buildings
(unless you have a cafeteria), so look for ways to reduce—a water
filter instead of plastic water bottles; glassware instead of paper
cups.
Batteries
Many people remember using municipal battery collections, but the NYC
battery recycling program was cancelled years ago. Though alkaline
batteries manufactured today have little to no mercury content, they
can still be recycled. An industry-funded group, the Rechargeable Battery
Recycling Corporation (RBRC) will send you a free box for battery and
cell phone recycling (www.calltorecycle.com). Most rechargeable (i.e.
toxic) batteries are stamped with the RBRC symbol and recycling hotline
(1-800-8-BATTERY) so look for that seal. RadioShack, Staples and similar
stores also collect these materials as participants in the RBRC. Whole
Foods market accepts alkaline and rechargeable batteries, as does 3R
Living in Park Slope, Brooklyn. All batteries can be dropped off at
the Department of Sanitation Special Waste Collection Center in each
borough.
Freecycle New York City FreeMeet
Every few months hundreds of people gather at our seasonal FreeMeets
to unleash their clutter. FreeMeets are a “live” version
of the Freecycle NYC online exchange where you can bring items you
no longer use and perhaps pick up some free clothing, housewares, shoes,
books, etc. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people who are
part of the Recycle This! and Freecycle community. Our next FreeMeet
will be solar-powered! We’re partnering with Habana Outpost and
closing down South Portland Street in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn, from 11am
to 4pm on Saturday, June 24.
Contact www.RecycleThisNYC.org to get involved in making things happen!
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