Tag Archives: trash

New Rochelle School District Garbage Reduced 23% Since Recycling Was Introduced

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MountainTrash

These are my comments shared with the New Rochelle Board of Education on March 25th, 2014.

Dear Board,

I have been coming to speak here now for about 3 years, the first time in June of 2011. I shared with you then, that I realized how much garbage the kids were generating in the lunchrooms. How mindless they were throwing everything out, how there was no recycling can in sight anywhere, how the students were trained that everything around them was disposable and all they had to do is throw it mindlessly in the garbage.

Continue reading New Rochelle School District Garbage Reduced 23% Since Recycling Was Introduced →

New Rochelle Park and Rec. Recycling Practically Non Existent

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New York City isball field trash going all out when it comes to Recycling……. but New Rochelle is not following.

Apart from Glen Island park, recycling bins at New Rochelle Parks are non existent. None of the ball fields are sporting recycling cans, none of the playgrounds, none of the tennis courts.

The Source separation law is in effect since the late 80ies and here we are in 2013 and there are still no Recycling cans in sight.

How can we teach our children about recycling if no logistics are provided.

Especially at the ball fields, because, guess what, there are mainly bottles and cans discarded there. I did a survey and found 800 beverage containers per weekend day at the ALMS and Ward Ball fields alone. And no recycling can!

Here is an article on what Central Park is doing, it should be an example to New Rochelle.

Central Park recycling to get an overhaul:

Continue reading New Rochelle Park and Rec. Recycling Practically Non Existent →

Coffee Convenience, A Growing Environmental Problem that Costs Us All Dearly

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discarded coffee pods

As America’s culture of convenience continues to flourish, single-cup coffee makers have become increasingly popular among coffee drinkers. But beneath those expedient one-cup coffee pods lies a growing environmental problem.

With New Rochelle being a fast paced, suburban environment, it is a prime market for these kind of convenience driven machines.

“These things aren’t readily recyclable, if recyclable at all,” said Darby Hoover, senior resources specialist for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Anytime you’ve got this kind of small, single-use packaging option, especially when there are clearly alternatives, it just leads me to question why you would promote that system over another that works just as well for many applications.” Continue reading Coffee Convenience, A Growing Environmental Problem that Costs Us All Dearly →

New Rochelle’s Trinity Elementary School chosen as Green Writing Grant Recipient

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Trinity Green Writing Contest

New Rochelle‘s Trinity Elementary School has been exemplary in regards to Recycling. Under the leadership of Principal Anthony DiCarlo, and Assistant Principal Inas MorsiHogans, the students created a continuous culture of recycling in their lunchroom.

Trinity is the only school that has never faltered in their efforts to source separate all materials in the lunchroom, and I credit Ms MorsiHogans and the very supportive lunchroom staff with this. Way to go.

In this spirit, the school has been chosen to be the recipient of this years “Green Writing Contest” given in Honor of Nina Chin.

NYC, Miami, Chicago and many more School Districts are ditching Styrofoam trays

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The largest School districts in the country have finally woken up to the fact that schools, and the kids that are in those schools are the biggest players in environmental and sustainable planning.

Doing an Earthday project and then calling it done as far as it goes for instruction around sustainability is NOT ENOUGH.

Fortunately, the largest school districts are starting to wake up, that life is not disposable around us and that it is not cheaper and better to serve children on disposable Styrofoam trays. BTW, these trays are made of Polystyrene which has been classified as “reasonably anticipated human carcinogen” by the US Dept of Health in 2011.

Here is an excellent read on that topic. Some Westchester school districts are already following suit, but some is not enough. Westchester incinerates its garbage and guess who is breathing the air after burning 100.000 Styrofoam trays per day.

http://ecowatch.com/2013/12/05/schools-ditch-styrofoam-for-compostable/

Some Schools are Ditching Milk Cartons for Milk Dispenser

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New Rochelle’s schools are producing a large amount of Garbage every day, this is not new to readers of my blog. That this garbage costs us tax payers dearly is also not new.

I proposed to the schools in order to curb waste of milk and to reduce garbage that we should institute dispensers and re-usable cups. The Foodservice Consultant told me that it could not be done easily but that she is looking into the feasibility.

That would be a wonderful step in the right direction. Right now, New Rochelle generates around 6000 cartons per day, and especially the elementary schools have a milk waste of close to 50%.

http://www.wasterecyclingnews.com/article/20130917/NEWS01/130919963/thre… Continue reading Some Schools are Ditching Milk Cartons for Milk Dispenser →

New Rochelle Webster Students Partnering with Terracycle.com

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recycling binsNew Rochelle Daniel Webster Students are partnering up with Terracycle.com

The students are learning a lot about being stewards of the world and how to reduce our foot print. They are source separating their lunchroom waste into different recyclable categories and now they are expanding into recycling other items. Did you know that empty glue sticks are recyclable? How about old cell phone, chargers, ink cartridges, broken cameras, or spent Nestle Coffee Pods?

Well…YES, they are recyclable and the students are collecting these items now in specially marked recycling drawers in the school lobby.

So, from now on, instead of tossing items into the trash, have your child bring them to school to earn Terracycle Points for our school. If you send these items in a plastic bag, we will send the bag back for you to reuse or recycle.

Please check out Terracycle.com, this company is “upcycling” our waste into fabulous new products.

Please send in:

empty Ink Cartridges,
broken Cellphones,
broken cameras,
broken calculators,
unwanted chargers
empty glue sticks and glue bottles
broken, empty markers, pens and other writing equipment
spent Nestle Coffee pods ( have your child empty them before bringing them in please)

Thank you for helping our Earth and our school as we can put the Terracycle Points to many good uses.

Construction Debris Recycling Finally Available Locally in New Rochelle

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What to do with that large and looming container, filled with construction debris from that bathroom or kitchen renovation? Most home owners, that have work of that sort done, order a container which costs around $550$ to be placed and the cost includes 3 tons of garbage, any additional tonnage is charged at $95 per ton, so very quickly that 20 yard container comes with a price tag of $1000.00 or more. Construction debris removal has always a hefty price tag.

Did you know that Construction debris is also fully recyclable?

I bet you didn’t.

However it is, and right here locally in New Rochelle, at 19 Cliff St, very close to Home Depot. Continue reading Construction Debris Recycling Finally Available Locally in New Rochelle →

Styrofoam Used in New Rochelle’s Lunchroom Classified as ” reasonably anticipated human carcinogen” by US Department of Health

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I shared this at the New Rochelle Board of Education Meeting on February 4th, 2014

Dear Board,

I wanted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Dr Korostoff.

Ever since he took the helm of this school district, he has been incredibly supportive of recycling. He, as an educator, immediately understood that for children to learn to respect Earth and its resources is as important as reading and writing. As a matter of fact, it is actually called “Environmental Literacy”. That is what I want New Rochelle students to become: environmentally literate. And with that knowledge change will come to our communities. But it has to start in the schools and schools have to be the good example.

For a school to be a good example means to eliminate disposables that are used in the school, which brings me back to these dreaded Styrofoam trays, these awful plastic spork packages and other single serve packaging currently used in the schools.

You have heard from me plenty of times why Styrofoam trays are bad for the children, bad for the environment and bad for the bottom line. You have mostly gravely nodded your head in approval or maybe just out of good manners. However, the banning of Styrofoam from New Rochelle’s lunchrooms is in your hands and your hands alone. Continue reading Styrofoam Used in New Rochelle’s Lunchroom Classified as ” reasonably anticipated human carcinogen” by US Department of Health →

New Rochelle School District could save $500.000 through revamping Waste Management System

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Yesterdays BOE meeting took place at Jefferson Elementary School and the presentation given by the student was very charming. I have to say, by far the most charming I have ever seen. There was a very lovely choir, first on stage and later on the balcony, with a music teacher who was so on fire and filling the room with good energy. I had goose bumps!

Then there were 1st graders that did an outstanding presentation on Polar Bears, every one on the mic, really well done. Hats off to all teachers involved.

I also very much liked the presentation by Dr Weiss about Lice (I am actually feeling itching just typing this). Dr Weiss managed to really bring to point the misguided no-nit policy that the district had been following, but fortunately has recently abandoned. Continue reading New Rochelle School District could save $500.000 through revamping Waste Management System →