Provenance

REMINDER: Support Waste Reduction Legislation in Philadelphia
Recycle and Support Social Consciousness
Composting at Home
Events and Chapter Meetings

RecycleNOW Philadelphia is currently focusing on bringing commercial buildings, such as office and apartment buildings, into compliance with commercial recycling regulations. The City of Philadelphia’s commercial recycling regulations require that all commercial buildings in all parts of the City – including businesses, apartment buildings of more than six units, and schools – provide recycling for their employees and/or tenants.

Commercial buildings are required to prepare and submit a recycling plan to the city, provide recycling and containers for employees and/or tenants, and use a hauler or recycling company that is licensed by the City of Philadelphia. For all recyclables, commercial buildings must provide for separation of these items from regular trash up-front. If a hauler or a building manager/owner says that you can combine recyclables with trash, and that they will be separated off-site, they are not being recycled!

RecycleNOW will be holding meetings in the upcoming months to educate tenants and employees on how to advocate for recycling in their workplace or apartment. If you are interested in attending one of these meetings and becoming a recycling advocate for your apartment building or workplace, email info@recyclenowphilly.org.

REMINDER: Support Waste Reduction Legislation in Philadelphia
This Friday, May 1, Councilmen Frank DiCicco and James Kenney will hold a hearing on legislation they have introduced to reduce waste in Philadelphia by banning plastic bags at all retailers or mandating a $.25 fee on plastic shopping bags, and prohibiting Styrofoam food packaging in favor of biodegradable/compostable or recyclable disposable food service ware. Plastic bags use up our finite natural resources such as oil, gas and coal in their production and transportation. They also fill up landfills, contributing to air and water pollution, and are a major source of litter in Philadelphia. Polystyrene also poses these problems, even though there are numerous biodegradable alternatives.

You can help!
If you haven’t yet done so, email your City Council member and all at-large members. You can do so here, or by going to www.nextgreatcity.org and clicking on “Take Action”.

We also need your voice on Friday! Just email sarah.sachdev@phila.gov and let her know you’d like to testify. And we need your presence to fill Council chambers with supporters! Bring along friends, family and others who care about waste and litter reduction in Philadelphia.

RecycleNOW will be hosting a sign-making party in preparation for Friday’s City Council Hearing. Grab your friends, neighbors, and fellow activists and join us at the Clean Water Action office on Thursday, April 30, at 6:30 pm.

Learn more and RSVP at www.recyclenowphilly.org

Recycle and Support Social Consciousness
Established in 1996, Spiral Q produces giant puppet parades that raise social consciousness, and connect individuals and organizations throughout the city. They are currently in need of many items that people can “recycle” through them. Please click here to fill out the form. Alternatively, you can call Spiral Q at 215.222.6979 to set up a drop off time.

Frequently Needed Items:
Latex Paint
Yogurt Containers
Egg Cartons
Newspaper
Brown paper bags

Composting at Home
Penn State Cooperative Extension, in a partnership with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP), has developed a statewide backyard composting education program. The goal of the backyard composting program is to promote the recycling and reuse of yard trimmings, leaves, grass, kitchen scraps and other organic materials. County Extension agents and Master Gardener volunteers in counties around the state hold composting workshops, and participants in the workshops receive a free composting bin (1 bin per household).

Receive a FREE compost bin for your backyard and learn to turn your kitchen scraps and yard trimmings into valuable mulch and fertilizer. You don’t have to have a large yard to begin composting at home. Penn State Cooperative Extension personnel lead this popular program.

Pre-registration required. To register, please call the Penn State Philadelphia Outreach Center at 215-471-2200. See below for upcoming workshops.

Events and Chapter Meetings

• Sign-Making Event for City Council Waste Reduction Hearing – Thursday, April 30, 6:30 8:30 p.m., Clean Water Action, 1315 Walnut St # 1650, Philadelphia
• City Council Hearing on Waste Reduction Legislation – Friday, May 1, 10 a.m., Council Chambers, Rm. 400, City Hall, Philadelphia
• Backyard Composting in Pennsylvania Workshop – Saturday, May 2, 2009, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Awbury Arboretum Association Community Garden Club Ardleigh & Washington Lane (entrance on Ardleigh ) Philadelphia, PA 19138
• Used Electronics Drive, Ethical Recycling – Saturday and Sunday, May 9 and 10, 12:00 to 3:00 p.m., Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting, 100 E. Mermaid Ln., Philadelphia.