Solid Waste & Recycling Newsletter 

Upcoming Free Webinar: May 19th, Managing Wasted Food: Lessons Learned Nationally and New York State's Plan of Action

Tuesday, May 19th from 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Nora Goldstein (BioCycle) will discuss the national trends of organics recycling, how New York State fits into the national picture, and what she sees as the future of the organics recycling industry. Sally Rowland (DEC) will follow with an update on the NYS Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling law which will take effect January 2022. This webinar is part of a three-part webinar series held by NYS Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling in place of the 2020 NYS Organics Summit. Register for the May 19th webinar.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle While You Spring Clean

It’s time for some spring cleaning! But before you start throwing everything into trash bags, it’s important to remember that everything we own requires natural resources to produce, and many of the things we might consider trash can be reused, repaired and recycled. While it can be tempting to just throw items into trash bags as quick as possible, reducing the amount of waste you create while spring cleaning can be very rewarding.

Tips to Recycle Right While You Spring Clean

• Respect your sanitation workers and waste collectors: One of the best ways to say thank you is to follow the recycling rules in your area.
• You don't have to be an expert to recycle right. Before you start, contact your hauler, recycling coordinator or transfer station with questions you have about certain items. They can also provide you with a list of what is accepted and not accepted in your home recycling bin. No more guessing!
• Some items are recyclable but require special drop-off programs with different systems to recycle them and will not be recycled if placed in your home recycling bin. Some of these items include electronics, rechargeable batteries, textiles, and film plastics like plastic bags. Contact your recycling coordinator with questions about how to handle these items during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Don't bag recyclables unless in the rare case your instructions tell you to do so. Most of us should be putting recyclables into containers loose. In fact, bagged recyclables can end up in the landfill because it's considered a hazard as workers can't see what's inside the bag.
• Cardboard paper towel tubes are recyclable, but soiled paper towels, wipes, and napkins belong in the trash.
• If you have bulky household items, they should not be left at the curb unless you have a special bulk items pickup, and never illegally dump these items somewhere. Your hauler, recycling coordinator or municipality can help you dispose of these items properly.
• No cords, wires, light strands, rope or other tanglers. They jam recycling equipment.
• Visit the Recycle Right NY Campaign webpage for more tips and info to share about recycling right in your community!

Don't Forget Our Friends Reuse and Repair!

As you’re cleaning and organizing, if you come across something broken or worn, consider reusing or repairing it instead of trashing it. Reuse and repair help reduce waste, conserve natural resources, and fight climate change. Who knew you could do all that with a simple fix? Don’t consider yourself handy? There are plenty of repair resources available to learn and many repairs are easier than you might think. If you need help, set the item aside to visit a Repair Café once they re-open after the COVID-19 pandemic.

DEC Environmental Excellence Awards Due May 15

Applications for DEC Environmental Excellence Awards are due tomorrow, May 15, 2020. Businesses, not-for-profits, schools, and federal, state and local agencies are eligible to apply. Project examples include reducing greenhouse gas emissions or food waste, increased energy efficiency, education and training programs, manufacturing process improvements, natural resource conservation, urban forestry, and sustainable agricultural practices.

Compost Bin & Rain Barrel Sales

• Order by June 1, 2020: Town of Bethlehem
• Order by June 1, 2020: City of Troy

Conference, Workshops & Webinars:

• May 16, 2020: Composting From Home: The Basics with Jesse Kerns
• May 19, 2020: Managing Wasted Food: Lessons Learned Nationally and New York State's Plan of Action - Webinar
• May 21, 2020: What's New with Reducing & Recovering Wasted Food - Webinar
• June 22 - 26, 2020: Compost Operations Training Course - Hillsborough, New Jersey
• October 4 - 7, 2020: Federation Conference - Bolton Landing
• October 20 -21, 2020: Northeast Recycling Council Fall Conference - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

Funding/RFP Opportunities - Application Deadlines

• May 1, 2020: US EPA Sustainable Materials Management Grant Program
• May 10, 2020: CCREF Compost Research Scholarships
• May 20, 2020: City of Rochester Food Waste Prevention, Donation & Organics Recycling Education and Outreach Program Request for Proposals
• May 29, 2020: NYSP2I Community Grants Program
• June 36, 2020: USDA Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction Project
• Recycling Partnership Residential Curbside Recycling Grant Program - Rolling Grant Program while funding is available.

Award Deadlines

• May 15, 2020: DEC Environmental Excellence Awards
• August 14, 2020: 2020 NERC Environmental Sustainability Leadership Award

We Want To Hear From You!

Is there a topic you'd like to learn more about or a public event or workshop related to recycling (organics, textiles, traditional recyclables, etc.) you'd like the greater community to know more about? E-mail us at organicrecycling@dec.ny.gov and it could be featured in an upcoming Solid Waste & Recycling Newsletter. 

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