Thank you to all the citizens and neighborhood associations who made this year's Tree-cycling event possible. According to the numbers, this was Philadelphia's most successful Tree-cycling event yet.
Check out how well your neighborhood did:
Chestnut Hill saved 153 trees from entering landfills.
East Mount Airy collected about 200 trees.
In Northern Liberties, 223 trees were chipped into mulch.
University City chopped up 324 trees.
NKCDC recycled 332 trees.
Passyunk Square collected a whopping 385 trees.
Friends of Eastern State Penitentiary collected 472 trees from the Fairmount Neighborhood.
Great job, everyone!
Is your favorite bar or restaurant recycling?
We're sure you've heard by now -- Philadelphia businesses are required by law to recycle, just like residents. But as we've seen, many bars and restaurants are not recycling -- not even their cans and bottles. The Recycling Alliance continues to help these businesses meet the city's requirements. Just think of how many cans and bottles that should go straight to a recycling facility, but instead fill our landfills, Philadelphia's bars go through during a single night.
Let us know if you frequently patronize a business that needs to change its ways. You can email us at info@recyclenowphila.org.
Waste composition study: What do Philadelphians really toss?
Every 10 years the City of Philadelphia takes a long hard look at what its residents are recycling and throwing away. The city recently reported the results of its 2010 waste and recycling characterization study, which showed that our recycling rate recycling rate has plateaued around 19 percent, but also identifies how the city and its residents can reduce waste and increase the recycling rate.
According to the numbers below, Philadelphians recycle the right materials; however, improvements can be made:
-- Paper needs to be kept out of the trash. Close to 22 percent of trash is paper, an easily recycled material.
-- Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste needs to be reduced. It is illegal to put C&D waste out for curbside collection. Education and enforcement about C&D waste would reduce the materials that make up over 20 percent of residential trash.
-- Philadelphia needs solutions for organics recycling which makes up 30 percent of the waste stream. While some households compost on site, and others use a residential compost service, most Philadelphians don't have the space or means to compost.
Recyclables Composition Paper - 60.1%
Plastic - 10.7% Glass - 18.0%
Metal - 4.6%
Organics - 3.4%
C&D - 1.5%
Other 1.5%
Trash Composition Paper - 21.60% Plastic - 10.10%
Glass - 4.40% Metal - 3.60%
Organics - 30%
C&D - 20.60%
Other Wastes - 9.60%
We know that is a lot of info. In fact, you might have lost track of all the changes to Philadelphia's recycling regulations in the last five years. It can be difficult to keep track of where we are. Check out the summary of where we've been and where we stand with this report on the state of recycling in Philly.
Hold onto that hazardous waste
Philadelphia has released its 2012 household hazardous waste events calendar. The first event is not until April 28, so hold onto that hazardous waste just a bit longer to ensure it's properly disposed.
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