President Kelli Timbrook

Hello NYSAR3 members, I hope everyone is having a fun and sun filled summer! I know my garden is loving all the sunshine we are getting!  The Board of Directors has been very productive this summer, hosting the Annual Retreat in June. This is an opportunity for us to assess successes and challenges from the past year, as well as form campaigns and initiatives for the coming year. 

In the successes column we can chalk up wins under passed legislation for pharmaceutical take-back, expanded grant opportunities through the DEC and ESD, and a highly attended Organics Summit in the spring. The Single-use Plastic's committee is also in the midst of launching a Bring Your Bag campaign, and anticipates participation from grocery and box stores from across the state - keep an eye out for your reusable bag and more info at this years' Annual Recycling Conference in Cooperstown. Read the whole column. 

Kate McArdle, newly appointed NYSAR³ Chapter 8 rep, is the community outreach coordinator for the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute. She works across the state to support communities investing in sustainability and pollution prevention projects. Kate manages NYSP2I's Outreach and Education Program - which includes the Community Grants Program, a University Initiative and K-12 programming. Kate has more than 15 years' experience working both as a volunteer and employee for various non-profit organizations, including Child Care Council and Foodlink. Before coming to NYSP2I in 2014, Kate was funded by the EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to educate child care providers on how to reduce toxics in their programs.  Kate holds a BA in environmental studies from St. Lawrence University and is a NYS Early Childhood Accredited Trainer. When not traveling for work across the State or on an Adirondack adventure with her husband and two daughters, she is at home in Penfield, NY.

Two New York State colleges  were recipients of a $2,500 "College Council Grant" from NYSAR³. Read More about how Wells College of Aurora and Colgate University of Hamilton will use the award to purchase heavy duty, permanent recycling (or combination trash and recycling) bins to enhance current recycling efforts on campus.

Five New York State schools were recipients of the Spring 2018 round of "Green Schools Grants" from NYSAR ³. Read More about how the schools will use the funds to enhance recycling efforts at their institutions.

At a public hearing held in early July, community members in Westchester County expressed their support of a new commercial compost facility that will add food scraps management capacity to existing collection and recycling program. Currently, food scraps collected in Westchester are brought to Ulster County for processing. Sustainable Materials Management, Inc. will operate the facility in Cortlandt Manor, NY which will reduce trucking costs, emissions, and create economic opportunity for the community. Company President, Anthony Carbone,  stated "This is something that people are really interested in doing but there's no facility nearby. There's really a market, there's a need, and that's when I started researching how to set up a facility like this." Pending another hearing on August 28, Sustainable Materials Management, Inc hopes to begin site construction in September and accepting material for processing in October of 2018.

Last year Frederick Olmsted High School in Buffalo was the recipient of a NYSAR3 Green Schools Grant. Read More about how they used the funds to start a  small composting operation, which will add to environmental efforts that include  recycling and growing a vegetable garden.

The 2018 Federation of New Solid Waste Associations Conference saw almost 600 attendees and included a jam-packed agenda, tons of great networking opportunities and meetings for each of the federation organization Boards. Highlights included a plenary session featuring a demonstration of Food Waste reduction given by Chef David Mawhinney and Thomas McQuillan, where greens and herbs unfit for a salad were used in a recipe for homemade tortellini.  Abstracts for the 2019 conference will be accepted until November 2, 2018 and mark your calendar's for next year's event: May 19-22, 2019!

An upcoming tour of Monroe County's ecopark and a l unch m eeting  at RIT's NY State Pollution Prevention Institute is planned for NYSAR³ members in  Chapters 7, 8 & 9 on August 19. Read More about the event.

Schenectady County Recycles is planning a number of free events over the summer including including a Plastic-Free July Challenge, Repair Café, Master Composter-Recycler Classes and the highly anticipated Compost Fair & Education Day on July 28. Find out more events through the group's electronic magazine.

The National Recycling Coalition will offer a Regional Market Development Symposium on July 31 in Atlanta, which will focus on generating quality supply of materials in the southeast. Read More from David F. Keeling, NRC president, including his response to the Basel Convention issue on plastics.

Collection System

The City of Buffalo sponsored a Food Scraps Recycling Pilot Program during June and July. The two-month project, at the Massachusetts Avenue Park Farm Stand will de monstrate the ability to process food scraps locally through the creation of compost. Read about details of the program and the announcement  from Buffalo Mayor Myron Brown.

NYSAR³ member Sashti Balasundaram dumps collected organics, right.

Schools in Maine and New York recycled enough cans and bottles in three months to raise a grand total of $27,562.50 in the CLYNK School Recycling Challenge. For every dollar raised in the Challenge period, schools also received a 50 cent match from Hannaford Supermarkets ($13,782.84), plus cash prizes provided by CLYNK. Read More  about the seventh annual event.

The Syracuse University Center for Sustainable Community Solutions (SU-CSCS) is excited to announce two upcoming tours that will highlight sustainable materials management facilities in the Hudson Valley and on Long Island. Be sure to mark your calendars for 9/11/2018 and 9/13/2018 respectively! Recycling coordinators, sustainability professionals, educators, local leaders, interested citizens, and others are welcome to attend. Through these tours, SU-CSCS hopes to illuminate and support mod e l operations for the sustainable management of valuable materials such as food, recyclables, organics, building supplies, and more. Tour Details and registration will be announced soon. If you would like to suggest a location to feature or help to promote these events, please contact SU-CSCS Program Coordinator, Jesse Kerns, at jekerns@syr.edu or 315-443-8488.

After three years of doling out more than $400,000, the Foam Recycling Coalition advances its foam recycling grant program with a revamped website dedicated to foam polystyrene recycling. Read More about the new site, along with how to apply for grants through  July 31. 

Are you interested in receiving recycling and sustainability news, updates, and related events in NYS?  Sign up for the DEC Delivers  Living Green with Your Family listserv. Or maybe you're interested in receiving solid waste regulatory updates, funding opportunities, and solid waste related events?  Sign up for the DEC Delivers  Solid Waste and Recycling listserv.

 

If there is a public event or workshop related to recycling (organics, textiles, electronics, traditional recyclables, etc.) you'd like the greater community to know about, please email Kristine Ellsworth at Kristine.ellsworth@dec.ny.gov and she can include it in upcoming DEC Delivers publications.