TTF Watershed » Recycling

Great Cleanup at the Tacony Creek Park!

Ashley — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 23:14:57 +0000

This past Friday, TTF hosted a service learning opportunity for students from the ACE Mentor Program. We were also joined by community residents, employees and co-ops from the Philadelphia Water Department and a Park Ranger from the Philadelphia Department of Parks & Recreation. In just three hours, we managed to collect 20 bags full of trash and 15 bags of recycling! We found everything from a hand grenade to lost shoes and computer keyboards. Unfortunately, we also found a few yellow jackets, but everyone was still in good spirits at the end of the event.

TTF will be working throughout the month of August to set-up regularly scheduled cleanups along the Tacony Creek so stay tuned for more opportunities to lend a helping hand! Check our Events page for details soon!

Check out more photos here!

Don’t Let Spring Cleaning Stop at Your Indoor Spaces!

Abby — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:41:09 +0000

This past weekend, Lesley and I joined with Reverend Williams and a group of 30-40 volunteers to participate in Mayor Nutter’s Philly Spring Clean-Up 2011. In bright orange vests, we split into smaller groups and raked, swept, and picked up trash and recyclable items along Belfield Avenue, Washington Lane, and Duval Street (at least; there may have been one or two more sites). The garbage pick-up came before we could do a total count, but I would guess there were at least 30 if not 40 bags; at least one per volunteer. We also found a couple tires, a plastic drawer, and I can say that I found five bags worth of recyclables on Duval Street and disposed of them at Arcadia with the help of Mike Saloma and the Grounds Guys (should be a band, ha ha). It was a gorgeous day to beautify the streets. To learn more about this project, check out this video:

To get involved in upcoming activities like this, go to www.ttfwatershed.org/events. Thanks and happy spring cleaning!

Christopher Swain Recognized in “Good Men” Project

Katie — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:47:04 +0000

Check out this awesome video with TTF partner and friend, Christopher Swain, who was recently recognized by Fox Boston’s “Good Men” Project. We’ve been partnering with Christopher on our Ethical Electronics Recycling Drives for years now and we can verify that he is most certainly a good man! He is also able to talk about serious water issues in a way that is both hilarious and inspiring. Watch the whole video below:

Good Men Project: MyFoxBOSTON.com

Tapped–Why No One Should Bother With Bottled Water

Abby — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 02:56:39 +0000

After watching Tapped, I’m really glad I’ve stopped buying bottled water. The very beginning introduced me to the term “water mining.” Mining typically has negative connotations—and mining water is no different. Surface water belongs to the state it’s in, but the water running underground belongs to whoever has the biggest drill; this is known as absolute dominion. So in Fryeburg, ME, Poland Spring, owned by Nestle (yes, chocolate Nestle does water, too!) can bottle water and sell it to people in ME unregulated by the FDA and for up to 1900 times the price of tap water. The movie begins with the anecdote of Fryeburg and takes the viewer into the problems of plastic, trash, marketing, and the FDA. Shocking statistics are paired with saddening photos: e.g. 50% of the world recycles its water bottles while only 20% of the United States recycles its bottles, paired with the image of ocean water that has become plastic soup due to littering. We are really left with the problem of money or time/convenience. Bottled water is such an easy thing; it’s right there, whenever you want it, and it’s throwaway. But it’s ridiculously expensive and completely unregulated. People drink bottled water because they’re afraid of what’s in their taps when really tap water is tested up to 300 times a day and all the findings are open to the public. Bottled water is rarely, if ever, tested and when it is tested it’s done by scientists hired and paid off by the industries themselves. Last April, I bought an aluminum water bottle from TTF for $20 and since then have been getting my still-cold, still-refreshing water from taps and fountains for free. Think about how much money you spend on water bottles in a year. Think about where that water came from. Is buying that water bottle really better for you? Not according to this movie, or to me.

Buy the movie here: Tapped

TTF Adopted Electronic Waste Code of Ethics at Recycling Drive

Katie — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:52:35 +0000

With the incredible swimmer/activist Christopher Swain and a fantastic crew of committed volunteers, TTF collected 8,337 pounds of electronic waste at Cedarbrook Middle School last weekend in spite of fierce winds and freezing temperatures. It will be processed in accordance with the highest and most comprehensive set of standards in the world.

In addition, TTF became the first organization in the world to sign the Electronic Waste Code Of EthicsTM, a global set of standards developed by Christopher Swain. The Electronic Waste (e-waste) Code Of Ethics includes a mandate to educate youth about the global problem of Electronic Waste as well as a pledge to prevent e-waste from being dumped or deposited into solid waste landfills or incinerators. It also requires signatories to ensure that their electronics are not dumped in developing countries, or processed by child and/or prison labor.

Over the last several years, in partnership with Cedarbrook Middle School and Christopher Swain, TTF has hosted Ethical Electronics Recycling EventsTM that have diverted nearly 50,000 pounds of electronic waste from landfills, incinerators, and dumps in the developing world. For more information please contact: Sarah RobbGrieco at sarah@ttfwatershed.org or 215.208.1613. For more information on the Electronic Waste Code of EthicsTM, please visit: www.toxtour.org.

Below are a few pictures from the event. You can view more in this Facebook photo album and this Flickr set.

30 Days to Cleaner Streets — Final Results

Katie — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:27:44 +0000

November is over and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the results from our 30 Days to Cleaner Streets campaign! In fact, we had so much fun leading this campaign that we are going to keep it going all year round. From now on, you can participate by clicking on the “Cleaner Streets Campaign” tab on our website under “Programs.”

What did we pick up off the streets (and keep out of our waterways) this month? Participants found:

Athletic tape, bank deposit envelopes, beer/soda cans, bubble wrap, candy, a CD, chip bags, cigarette packaging, coffee cups, a dust mask, flyers, food wrappers, glass bottles, headphones, a license plate frame, napkins, newspapers, packing material, paper towels, papers, a pizza box, a planter, plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic cups, plastic utensils, postcards, takeout containers, tissue paper, and wood.

Participants covered a wide area including areas outside of our watershed. We picked up trash in Northwest Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia, East Falls, Center City, West Philadelphia, Cheltenham and Plymouth Meeting. Check out all the places we found trash Trash Map!

Go to the 30 Days to Cleaner Streets Trash Map!

By a huge margin, plastic bottles were the most common items found. William Shatner’s “The Transformational Man” CD remains the most unique item found.

Thank you again to all who participated! Don’t forget, you can keep adding to our trash map here. And stay tuned — we’ll be running another 30 Days contest in the future!

More on Cheltenham’s New Recycling Guidelines

Katie — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:05:50 +0000

News from Cheltenham Township:

TOWNSHIP EXPANDS PLASTICS RECYCLING

Cheltenham Township has expanded its residential recycling program to include most plastics, effective immediately. The program has long accepted #1 and #2 plastics, which covers the majority of plastic containers. Now plastic items with recycling codes #3 through #7 may also be recycled, except for plastic bags, PVC piping and Styrofoam including packing peanuts, which are still not recyclable.

All acceptable plastics #1 through #7 may be co-mingled with glass and cans in a single recycling container but must be separated from newspapers and cardboard. Residents should rinse glass, cans and plastic containers to remove any residue before recycling, but labels may remain. Discarded lids with regular refuse. Households that participate in the township’s recycling program may pick up a free 14-gallon recycling bin at the Township Administration Building, located at 8230 Old York Road in Elkins Park.

For complete recycling guidelines, visit the Township website, or call the Cheltenham Township Public Information Office at 215-887-6200, ext. 230.

Great News for Recycling in Cheltenham!

Katie — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:41:07 +0000

We just wrote about how Philadelphia expanded its recycling program to include plastics #1-7. Now Cheltenham has done the same! Cheltenham residents can now recycle all plastics except for plastic bags, pvc piping and styrofoam. This change is effective immediately. Congratulations, Cheltenham!

Great News for Recycling in Philadelphia!

Katie — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 18:08:07 +0000

As of August 1, Philadelphia residents can recycle plastics #1-7!

From the Philadelphia Streets Department Website:

Recycle All Plastic Containers!

You’ve been recycling plastic containers marked:
#1: Soda, water bottles
#2: Milk jugs, detergents, shampoo bottles

Now you can add:
#3: Rigid plastic containers and juice bottles
#4: Plastic tubs and lids from butter, margarine or similar products
#5: Yogurt containers and deli trays
#6: Plastic cups, plates and to-go containers
#7: Many mixed plastic containers and plastic products

These are just some examples of what you can recycle, so look for the number to make sure.

More info from RecycleNow Philadelphia:

2010 has been a banner year for Philadelphia’s residential recycling program – incentive based recycling was rolled out citywide in July and as of August 1 the City has begun collecting plastics #3 – #7. The change comes as the City recently awarded its recycling processor contract to Waste Management, who is building a LEED certified materials recovery facility (MRF) in Philadelphia.

While the market is strongest for plastics #1 and #2, uses for other plastics are emerging, making their collection viable. The best option is still to reduce the use of plastics and minimize waste, but diverting materials from landfills and incinerators is critical in conserving energy and natural resources and reducing pollution. To differentiate between plastics there is a number on the bottom of the container inside a recycling symbol. The most common recycleable among #3 – #7 plastics are yogurt cups, medicine bottles, bottle caps, take out containers, shampoo and detergent bottles, squeezable food bottles (ex: ketchup or mustard), and plastic packaging.

Plastics that CAN NOT be recycled curbside are plastic bags and dry cleaner bags, pvc pipes, and compostable plastic. For more information on plastics recycling, Earth911.com has developed a “Plastics 101” guide that even lists each different plastic’s reuse. If you have any questions of what can or can not be recycled please email info@recyclenowphilly.org.

What does recycling plastic have to do with the health of our watershed? One of the biggest problems in our creeks is an abundance of trash, especially plastic trash. The more plastic that is recycled properly means (hopefully!) less in our waterways. Thank you to the Philadelphia Streets Department for taking this important step!

Household Hazardous Waste Collection

Ashley — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:28:35 +0000

This Saturday, June 26th

Drop-Off Your Household Hazardous Waste

Containers marked Toxic, Flammable, Corrosive or Reactive don’t belong in your house or in the regular trash. They’re dangerous! Let the City dispose of them for you during this Saturday’s scheduled drop-off for Household Hazardous Waste (HHW). Bring those old cans of oil-based paint, solvents, pesticides, antifreeze, petroleum products, car batteries–even old computers—to the Transfer Station at Domino Lane and Umbria Street in Northwest Philadelphia between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM. We’ll take them off your hands at no charge. Spread the word to your friends and everyone on your Philly Spring Cleanup contact list as well.

For details on what is considered HHW and what isn’t, and for upcoming drop-off dates and locations, go to PhiladelphiaStreets.com/HHW.

This service of the Sanitation Division of the Philadelphia Streets Department is funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.