2017 New Year Resolutions

Live 2017 as a more sustainable lifestyle.  Here a a few resolutions for you to consider for the New Year.

Donate things you don’t need.

You don’t have to wait until the spring to do major cleaning in your home. Make it a
resolution to go through all of your belongings and sort out what you will no longer use.
Take the pile of unwanted items and donate them to a local charity. This is a
great way to reuse items you no longer need instead of tossing them in the trash.

Learn more about what can and cannot be recycled.

When you sort through all of your stuff, do you find yourself questioning whether something
is recyclable? Many people throw items they’re unsure of in the recycling bin, but if it’s not
recyclable, it could end up contaminating other items or damaging equipment at the recycling
center. So, this New Year, check with Recycling Staff to learn more about what is and is not
recyclable. For example, did you know most recycling centers will not accept plastic grocery
bags, BUT stores with over 10,000sf are mandated to accept them. So take your clean leftover
shopping bags to Shop Rite or Tops. Better yet USE A REUSABLE BAG!
Bring your own containers.

Are you going out for coffee? Bring a reusable mug and ask the coffee shop to use your cup.
The next time you go out to dinner, bring a small reusable container in your bag and ask the
restaurant to put your leftovers in your container. Ulster County has banned the use of
plastic foam takeout containers. Making this small change can help you drastically reduce the
amount of waste you are creating in your day-to-day life.

Have a Happy, Safe and Sustainable New Year.

Third Annual Winter Coat Drive

The Third Annual Winter Coat Drive in partnership with the Groovy Blueberry and United Methodist Church officially ended on November 30th. In 2014, Amy Cohen, owner of the Groovy Blueberry approached us with the idea of collecting winter coats for the Washbourne Battered Women's Shelter run by Family of Woodstock. With the help of Joan and Vincent Gallagher of the United Methodist Church, everything donated gets distributed to several local charities. Anyone in need of a coat can take one. There are no forms or other disclosure documents needed! Over 1,400 pounds of clothing and apparel was donated. Thank you!!

Food Recovery Program

We had a great group of people attend the screening of Just Eat It. Thank you for your support and the ideas. And, thank you to the Hudson Valley Regional Council for allowing us to show borrow the film. I think the next New Paltz program is ready to go. Food Recovery!

Here is what has been proposed for a future program. The results are a drafted two part plan:

Agriculture 
1) List of farmers in New Paltz/Gardiner area (we have already)
2) List of pantries/churches/cool bot distribution sheds
3) List of Farmer’s markets
4) Coordinate with Ulstercorp to manage volunteers and drop off produce at pantries
5) Schedule gleaning days

Prepared food rescue
1) List of restaurants (working on it)
2) Contacts for events like Taste of New Paltz
3) List of pantries/churches/cool bot distribution sheds (working on it)
4) Briefing to recruit volunteers and instruct on food recovery protocols including filing food pickup data forms (Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, Inc)
5) Calendar to coordinate volunteers (Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, Inc)

What do you think?

Feed The Hog!

New Paltz ReUse and Recycling Center is accepting "used" pumpkins for livestock feed. According to the owners of Briarcreek Farms, a local farm in New Paltz, animals LOVE pumpkins. Food for animals removes a significant amount of usable organic material from the waste stream and provides a valuable resource to local farm businesses. The ReUse Center is open Tues-Sat from 9-4:30pm and is located on Clearwater Road off Route 32 in New Paltz. This program runs through November 30th and is open to EVERYONE with pumpkins. Our zero waste goals, in partnership with EPA, include the Food Recovery Hierarchy pyramid. https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-man…/food-recovery-hierarchy The Town was invited to represent EPA Region II in 2011 as part of a zero waste initiative with twelve other municipalities nationally and developed a road map with input from the community. Interestingly enough, the New Paltz Zero Waste Action Plan has been implementing food recovery goals in reverse - from the bottom of the pyramid up.

• 2012 A commercial composting site was encouraged by students and faculty of SUNY New Paltz and a registered facility was opened in June.
• 2012 Free backyard composting and permaculture workshops for the public.
• 2014 An intern from SUNY New Paltz created a list of active farms that was provided to several local retail and wholesale food distributors. Products beyond the sell by dates are collected and used to feed livestock.
• 2016 A partnership was formed with the Food Insecurity Collaborative (Family of Woodstock, Ulstercorp and Rondout Valley Growers Association) to include New Paltz as part of a recovered food distribution system. A donated freezer is already full of healthy foods from a bumper crop of tomatoes (tomato basil sauce), eggplants (Ratatouille) and peppers. A Cool Bot system to keep produce cold until pantries can pick it up will be installed before the end of the year.
• 2017 New Paltz plans to implement a Master Organics Material Management program that focuses heavily on consumer modification.

For more information contact us at (845) 255-8456 or recycling@townofnewpaltz.org Website www.newpaltzreuse.org

Household Generated SHARPS

Household generated medical waste INCLUDING SHARPS CAN NOT BE RECYCLED at the curb or at your local transfer station. If you are NOT using a red SHARP container, then a #2 milk jug or detergent bottle can be used (Although a red SHARP container is recommended) When full use packaging or duct tape to secure the top, mark HOUSEHOLD GENERATED MEDICAL WASTE and drop off at a collection point. DO NOT PLACE IN RECYCLING CONTAINER. For more information on SHARP drop off locations see www.newpaltzreuse.org; www.ucrra.org orwww.dcrra.org

R-3 (ReUse) Bus Maiden Voyage

The R-3 (ReUse) bus will be making its maiden voyage to Blueberry Fields across from Groovy Blueberry on Water Street tomorrow, Friday September 23rd from 2-4:30pm. Create at the craft table and get a sample of materials available at the ReUse Center on Clearwater Road of Route 32 by the ballfields.

We have windows, doors, shingles and ceramic tile available at the ReUse Center. On Sept 23rd see our selection of fabric, yarns, frames, wooden discs, lamps, mugs and other housewares.

Saturday, August 27, 2016: Unveiling of the Mural

An unveiling of the Roost Youth Group mural at the New Paltz ReUse Center on Clearwater Road is planned for Saturday, August 27th, 2016 at 2pm followed by an ice cream social generously provided by Stewarts Shops. The event will be open until 4pm with members of the RYG available to discuss the mural.

New Paltz ReUse and Recycling has partnered with the Roost Art Gallery and New Paltz High School students (Roost Youth Group – “RYG”) who completed a mural on the front of the ReUse Center in late July. The ReUse Center is a warehouse opened in 2011 for usable materials that were destined to be landfilled. 

The mural depicts a dismal future as our natural resources continue to be abused and depleted. However, there is a pilgrimage of people moving toward sustainability and a healthier environment which could reverse the damage that has been done. 

Laura Petit, New Paltz Recycling Coordinator said,” This group (RYG) of talented young people created a visual story to educate everyone about the consequences their decisions have on the environment.” She added, “Even through the adverse conditions of this summer’s extreme heat and sudden violent thunderstorms, the RGY group finished this priceless mural for the community to enjoy.”

Special Thank You to Our Volunteers!

The Town of New Paltz ReUse and Recycling Center has been recognized several times by the EPA for its composting and reuse programs. It was also one of the first in Ulster County, New York to begin holding textile collections in partnership with the NYSDEC and local solid waste authority beginning 2014. This event was attended by NYSDEC Region Director, Martin Brand on April 25, 2015, in recognition of the ReClothe NY textile recycling campaign.

From August 2nd through 6th, 2016, New Paltz had a booth at the annual Ulster County Fair where volunteers offered information and ideas for repurposing material. An unofficial record setting 50,591 visitors attended the Fair. Over 150 children's books with blank pages for their own illustration and authoring were distributed as volunteers explained that this material would have been thrown in a recycling bin. (Recycling is not number one on the NYSDEC hierarchy and would have created 900 pounds of CO2 emissions for each roll-off container load sent out for recycling.) Instead, new and gently used materials are diverted to encourage reuse and modified consumerism to keep everything local AND out of landfills.

All of these programs have been a success because of public support and the amazing volunteers that offer their time and experience. The perennial garden, the greenhouse, the ongoing clothing collections for more than ten charitable organizations and the evolving food recovery program all rely on our network of volunteers. Thank you to each and everyone of them!