Recycling Alliance leaders (l-r) Maurice Sampson, Katie Edwards, Christine Knapp and Ben Ditzler along with Curby Bucket at the Philadelphia Recycling Rewards launch
Questions or Comments?
RecycleNOW Philadelphia c/o Clean Water Action 1315 Walnut Street, Suite 1650 Philadelphia, PA 19107
Five years after the launch of the RecycleBank pilot in Philadelphia, the city has now announced a full launch of the Philadelphia Recycling Rewards program in partnership with RecycleBank. This victory is due in large part to the efforts of the 13,000 residents that signed the RecycleNOW petition during the Mayor’s race urging for recycling improvements. Give yourself a pat on the back!
Based on the total amount of recycling collected in their neighborhood, residents will earn points that can be redeemed to use at local and national retailers, or donated to non-profits. This encourages residents to urge their neighbors to recycle as well. Residents can also earn points for trash reduction.
The program will begin in February of 2010 in North Philadelphia, and will roll out in an additional section of the city each month, making the program citywide by July.
Residents can sign up at http://www.phillyrecyclingpays.com/ and register to receive a sticker, to be placed on any bin. You can help by encouraging your friends and neighbors to sign up today!
Philadelphia Wins "Waste Watcher" Award
As part of America Recycles Day, the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania awarded the City of Philadelphia with its 2009 Waste Watcher award for superior accomplishments in raising the city’s recycling rates. By implementing single stream weekly curbside collection citywide, the city was able to increase the recycling rate from 7 to 15 percent, with some neighborhoods recycling at close to 30 percent. The increase in material diverted from landfills and incinerators saved the city $4.8 million in tipping fees and kept the program running during the fiscal crisis.
In addition, Blue Mountain Recycling, the city’s sole processor of materials collected in Philadelphia’s residential curbside recycling program, also was awarded a Waste Watcher Award. Blue Mountain’s state-of-the art facility allowed the city to make the switch to single-stream, making it easier for residents to participate.
Congratulations to everyone for the well-deserved recognition.
East Coast's Largest Composting Facility Opens Near Philadelphia
East Coast’s Largest Composting Facility Opens Near Philadelphia Monday, November 30 marked the opening of the East Coast’s largest composting facility, the Wilmington Organic Recycling Center. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, food and paper waste are the two largest contributors to landfills, and make up more than half of all landfill waste – more than all plastics, diapers, Styrofoam and tires combined. While Philadelphians can easily recycle paper on a weekly basis, many are still throwing away a large amount of food or organic material. It is estimated that 30 percent of the waste stream is organics that can be composted, reducing the greenhouse gas methane produced from organics decomposing in landfills.
The Wilmington Organic Recycling Center has the ability to divert up to 500 tons of organic material from landfills a day. The proximity of the facility to Philadelphia will make composting as simple as trash collection for many restaurants and businesses that produce a significant amount of food waste.
As for residential compost collection, both Pedal Coop and PhillyCompost provide smaller scale pick-up services for those who want to compost but don’t have the space.
City Leaf Collection Through December 18
The Streets Department's 2009 Bagged Leaf Collection began on Monday, November 9 and will run through Friday, December 18. Leaves should be set out in biodegradable paper bags to facilitate recycling.
Bags should be placed curbside on your rubbish/recycling collection day and collected in biodegradable paper bags. These bags can be processed for recycling along with the leaves. This reduces contamination in the recycling process, and allows crews to work more efficiently and more easily identify your bags as leaves. Leaves set out in other bags or containers may be collected as rubbish.
Bagged leaves may be taken Citizen Drop-off centers, located at 3033 S. 63rd Street and at State Road and Ashburner Street.
Busting the Myths of Recycling
Myth: Philadelphia no longer provides Christmas tree recycling
While the city did stop providing curbside collection of Christmas trees for recycling, residents are still able to bring their trees into a sanitation yard to get them recycled.
The City of Philadelphia will be accepting Christmas trees from Monday, January 5 through Saturday, January 17 at the Streets Department Sanitation Convenience Centers located at 3033 South 63rd Street, Domino Lane and Umbria Street, and State Road and Ashburner Street. The sites are open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Christmas trees should be untied, and free of all decorations, ornaments, plastic bags or wrappings.
Events
#5 Plastics Recycling Collection: Saturday, December 19, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Weavers Way Coop, 610 West Carpenter Lane
