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Recycling

Area recycler planning electronics event in Batavia, announces contest to name shredder

By Press Release

Sunnking, the electronics recycling company based in Brockport, is returning to Batavia for another large recycling event at Genesee County Department of Social Services, 5130 E. Main St., Batavia on June 25.

More details will be released closer to the event but registration will open in March.

In the meantime, the company is asking WNY residents to name its electronics shredder.  The winner of the naming contest will win either tickets to Darien Lake Theme Park or Rochester Americans game.

Here's the full press release:

Sunnking is excited to announce its first-ever "Name the Shredder Contest." The Sunnking Name the Shredder Contest allows residents and businesses across New York to submit their best and most creative names for its electronics shredder, which destroys over 10 million lbs of recycled devices each year.

Participants have until March 18th, Global Recycling Day, to submit their most creative shredder name using the submission form on our website: sunnking.com/contest.

Winners will have their shredder name featured on Sunnking's website and live streaming shredder feed. The winner will also receive a Sunnking swag bag and their choice of EITHER four (4) tickets to Six Flags Darien Lake OR four (4) tickets to a Rochester Americans game and four (4) tickets to a Rochester Knighthawks game of their choice.

Since its launch in mid-August, Sunnking's Live Shredder Camera feed has been viewed for more than 500 hours by people all over the world.

"We've seen people name boats, snowplows, zoo animals, so why not give them a chance to enjoy naming the machine that recycles their unused devices," said Robert Burns, Sunnking's Marketing Director. "The Name the Shredder Contest is a fun way to connect with our community and promote the impact of responsibly recycling their electronics and the data security process behind it."

All names must be submitted by Friday, March 18th, 2022.

Five (5) finalists will be announced on March 28th through a website poll on sunnking.com/contest where the public can vote on their favorite.

Winners will be announced on Thursday, April 14th, 2022.

Everyone must submit original and creative shredder names on our contest website: sunnking.com/contest.

Batavia Downs is going all in on green with recycling initiatives to reduce waste

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Batavia Downs Gaming is expanding, and with it are their internal initiatives to “go green.” A new comprehensive, company-wide recycling program called the “Green Initiative” is now being implemented at Batavia Downs.

With additional seating areas added to the Fortune’s and 34 Rush restaurants an increase in waste is expected. To ensure that as much is recycled as possible, Batavia Downs has established a “Green Team” to carry out the many proactive steps that are required for the program to thrive.

These staff members have gathered various perspectives on what a successful recycling program should look like for the company and will now be looking to implement those at the restaurants and office areas within the building.

“Green Team” members will be setting up recycling stations for waste, gather input from departments, work on signage to encourage participation and assist with collections.

“We as a company have a huge opportunity to make a significant impact on the amount of waste we produce annually,” said Henry Wojtaszek, president and CEO of Batavia Downs. “I want to compliment all the staff who will be overseeing the green initiatives as they come to fruition.

"Batavia Downs is looking forward to becoming more environmentally friendly and creating a more eco-conscious work environment.”

New recycling procedures announced for Bethany Transfer Station users

By Billie Owens

Press release from the Town of Bethany:

Beginning Saturday, April 7, all recyclables such as plastic, cardboard, glass, tin cans and aluminum cans are to be bagged and disposed of the dumpster designated for recyclables. These items may be bagged together. There will be a charge of $4 per bag.

If a container can be easily flattened, please do so. This will take up less space in the dumpster resulting in fewer hauls.

All items must be rinsed; labels do not have to be removed. 

More information is available at the Town Hall or at the Transfer Station.

Carl Hyde Jr., Bethany Town Supervisor

Results released of last fall's hazardous waste collection event

By Billie Owens

Press release:

At last month's meeting of the GLOW Region Solid Waste Management Committee, Peggy Grayson, recycling administrator, presented the Final Report for the 2016 Household Hazardous/Pharmaceutical Waste Collection.

The annual collection was held Sept. 17 at the Genesee County Highway Department in Batavia. More than 600 residents made appointments and 527 attended.

At the collection GLOW accepted, as it has in the past, a wide range of household chemicals, oil base paint (10,909 lbs.), pesticides and insecticides (5,433 lbs.), aerosol cans (1,799 lbs.), resins and adhesives (1,823 lbs.), fluorescent bulbs and tubes (934 lbs.), electronics (32,258lbs.) propane tanks and canisters, vehicle batteries, pharmaceuticals (360 lbs. with packaging) and other materials.

Once again GLOW used its system of appointments and scheduled up to 30 residents for each 15-minute interval. As a result few people waited more than 15 minutes and many were able to drive right in, be unloaded and out without waiting at all. On exit surveys residents overwhelmingly gave the program a top rating of 5. Most residents want to see the program held annually, if not more frequently.

The total cost of the program was $35,377. Of that amount $29,905 was for disposal of materials and $5,472 was for advertising, supplies, printing, postage and miscellaneous. Materials were accepted no charge except for tires. Funding is provided by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) grant and GLOW’s County contributions. Ed Arnold Recycling accepted propane tanks and canisters and vehicle batteries at no charge and Covanta Energy incinerated, as required by law, medications at no charge.

GLOW is in the planning stages for a mid-September 2017 collection in Livingston County. Residents wishing to be notified by post card when appointments are being accepted can contact the GLOW office.

For additional information or a copy of the final report residents may call the GLOW office at 585/815-7906 or 800/836-1154, or email glow@co.genesee.ny.us

Photos: Hawley hauls in scads of has-been electronics at recycling event

By Howard B. Owens

The vehicles filled with electronic waste were lined up and down Route 5 this morning, and by this afternoon, trailers were stuffed and bins were gorged with has-beens of the Digital Age, all destined to appropriate recycling facilities rather than a landfill.

The event outside the county's Social Services building was organized by Assemblyman Steve Hawley and his staff with a heaping trove of help from the Batavia High School Track Team.

GLOW Region hazardous household waste collection to be held Sept. 19 in Wyoming County

By Billie Owens

The GLOW Region Solid Waste Management Committee is pleased to announce that it will hold a single Household Hazardous Waste Collection. It will be on Saturday Sept. 19 in Rock Glen, Wyoming County. Residents from Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming counties are eligible to participate.

Appointments are required on a first come, first serve basis. A total of 600 spots are available. Details and additional information can be obtained by calling the GLOW office at 585/815-7906 or 800/836-1154 or 585/344-2580, ext. 5463.

Funding is provided by GLOW’s County contributions and a grant from the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation with assistance from the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department and Covanta Niagara.

Materials accepted include household cleaning products, pesticides/insecticides, oil base paint/stains, vehicle batteries and fluids (except motor oil), oil filters, pool chemicals, driveway sealer and home computers, TVs and microwaves FREE OF CHARGE. Passenger/light truck tires will be accepted for $4 each and truck tires for $10. For the sixth year, pharmaceutical waste -- outdated, unwanted or unusable medicines -- will be accepted.

Items that will not be accepted include latex paint, used motor oil, empty containers, asbestos and household batteries.

“Collections such as this provide residents with an excellent opportunity to safely dispose of materials they no longer want or need and that have the potential to harm the human and environmental health," said Peggy Grayson, GLOW’s recycling administrator.

"The addition of medicines helps not only the environment but other sectors of the community such as law enforcement and the public. The GLOW Committee is happy to offer the collection of medicines to the program and hopes that residents will take full advantage of the opportunity to rid their homes of these hazards."

Recycler of the year is dedicated, passionate and innovative

By Alecia Kaus

Peggy Grayson is recycling.

For 16 years she has been administrator of GLOW Solid Waste Management and was recognized by the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling last month in Cooperstown as Recycler of the Year. 

"They started to describe the Recycler of the Year, and it sounds like they are describing me," she says. "I talk a lot and I was speechless. I was honored. It's a pretty big award."

Grayson who is a Le Roy native and resident of Stafford says she has been to every annual conference.

"You pick up things and make contacts and find out new things you don't know." 

The State Association describes Grayson as "inspirational and always willing to go the extra mile on a shoestring budget."

Grayson is the only employee covering Genesee, Wyoming and Livingston counties. Orleans County dropped out nine years ago. 

Working out of County Building #2 on West Main Street, Grayson says GLOW is one of the largest surviving multiple county groups in New York State.

"It's a validation of the counties sticking together and working together. We have very low overhead."

The total county contibution is $72,000.

Her most successful venture has been the Household Hazardous Waste Collection each year. Using the County Highway Department, they have gone from 150 spots in 1996 to 600 spots last year.

"We get rid of a lot of stuff," Grayson says.    

She will continue to spread the recycling word to youngsters throughout the GLOW Region. She says she has fun going into the schools and presenting information about recycling and reuse. She says kids are always asking her what's new. She hopes they relay her message to their parents, too.

To contact Peggy Grayson for recycling, reduction and reuse questions you can e-mail her at glow@co.genesee.ny.us or call 585-344-2580, ext. 5463.

ARC 'Trash & Recycling Center' open house showcases new location, bigger recycling efforts

By Daniel Crofts

Michael Smith hopes that "future generations of our children will ask, 'What were landfills?'"

Smith is the trash/recycling coordinator at Genesee ARC. He is pictured (left) with Floor Supervisor Mark Wood.

His comment was part of an opening speech at last night's open house for the agency's new Trash & Recycling Center.

The open house was in celebration of the center's move from its former location on Clinton Street (in the City of Batavia) to a larger facility at 3785 W. Main St. Road in the Town of Batavia.

Genesee ARC, which serves children and adults with developmental disabilities, has handled the City of Batavia's waste management for nearly 30 years.

"Recycling was a natural spinoff," Smith said.

And now, with New York State's recycling and take-back program for electronic items, they are going to be even busier.

By law, businesses, municipalities and waste collection companies can no longer throw away old computers, TVs, or other covered electronic devices -- known as "e-waste" -- into the trash or into landfills. Instead, the manufacturers must take them back for recycling purposes.

ARC's new Trash & Recycling Center location will house the agency's e-waste recycling efforts, which are part of an expansion of endeavors and a growing need for services that prompted the move to West Main Street Road.

At this time, according to Wood, all of the materials that go through ARC's Trash & Recycling Center are sent to mills around the Northeast region and Canada.

"They take the products and re-manufacture the raw material into new soup cans, new milk cartons, new boxes," etc.

In addition to being good for the environment, the center also give employment opportunities to people with disabilities, which Wood sees as a major plus.

Photos: Top four photos by Howard Owens. Other photos by Dan Crofts.

Government officials present at last night's event included:

Jeremy Bennett, a representative from Congresswoman Kathy Hochul's office, with ARC Executive Director Donna Saskowski.

Genesee County Manager Jay Gsell, with ARC Director of Development Shelley Falitico.

For more information on ARC's Trash & Recycling Center, click here.

Disclosure: Dan Crofts works for Genesee ARC. He is employed at the Day Habilitation site in Elba.

More pictures (click on the headline for more):

The "hopper," by way of which all materials are taken to the sorting line.

Photos: Cool Kids Eco-Fest at GCC

By Howard B. Owens

Hundreds of residents drove up to Genesee Community College CC on Saturday to drop off old computers, monitors, printers, TVs and other household electronics so they could dispose of the broken, outdated technology in a safe, environmentally friendly way.

While there, Todd Sloat, of Sloat Tires, would check the air pressure on the motorists' tires, if they wished.

More and more farmers are going green by recycling plastic containers

By Billie Owens

The Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District wants people to know that more farmers are being “green” by demonstrating "product stewardship" -- recycling. And that in October, there will be pick-ups scheduled for recyclable plastic containers.

Farmers all around Western New York are recycling their triple-rinsed plastic containers from agricultural crop protection products such as specialty pest control, crop oils, surfactants, micro-nutrient/fertilizer, and/or adjuvant products.

USAg Recycling, Inc., offers agricultural producers and custom applicators an environmentally “green” convenient option for disposing of their empty containers.

USAg Recycling, Inc., will be picking up agricultural plastic containers in several locations throughout New York State from Oct. 18-29. The service is free to farmers and provides an environmentally friendly alternative to burning or throwing away agricultural containers.

Last year, USAg Recycling, Inc., collected 46,000 pounds of plastic containers from New York State.

It is a member company of the national Agricultural Container Recycling Council (ACRC), which in 2008 celebrated 100 million pounds of agricultural plastic containers recycled from across the United States.

Today, ACRC averages eight to 10 million pounds collected each year. Collected containers are ground into chips and recycled as corrugated plastic drainage pipe, railroad ties, fence posts, pallets, and many other products.

That’s farmers helping to keep plastic out of the landfills.

Containers accepted are HDPE #2 plastic containers only, ranging from less than one gallon to 55 gallon barrels. Larger containers such as 250 gallon shuttle totes must be cut into 2’x2’ pieces and free of any hardware. Cutting large containers in this manner facilitates proper cleaning and inspection, reduces storage area, and allows for direct feed into the granulation machine.

To be acceptable for recycling, plastic containers must be empty, clean, uncapped and dry. To help store containers until pick-up time, bags that hold up to 50 one-gallon containers are available for free upon registration.

Exact pick-up dates at local sites will be available within the first week of October.

Please contact Elizabeth Bentley-Huber at Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District at 585-343-2362 or at <Elizabeth.Bentley-Huber@ny.nacdnet.net.> for more information and registration.

Batavia siblings make a good team selling 'books and more'

By Daniel Crofts

Between Picnic in the Park and Mark and Mary Holmes' 4th of July garage sale, spectators had a lot of attractions to choose from on Sunday.

Mark and Mary, who are brother and sister, have a big sale in front of Mary's home on 18 Park Ave. -- right across the street from Centennial Park -- around every major holiday. They donate the proceeds to different area charities; this time, the money went to the Junior Grange in East Pembroke.

Many of the items they sell are recyclable, including these wind chimes made of empty cans:

Mark and Mary may have another sale on Labor Day, depending on what their schedule is like. They are currently in the process of opening up a used bookstore in the Batavia Industrial Center on Harvester Avenue. 

The store will be called "Anything Goes: Books and More," and they hope to have it up and running by the end of the month.

They had some books and movies on sale Sunday, you might say as a sort of "preview":

"Anything Goes" will be something quite different for Batavia. It will be a sort of hybrid bookstore/flea market/antique store/forum for charities, among other things.

In addition to selling used books, VHS tapes, antiques, and other needful items -- most of which will cost $5 or less -- the Holmes' will have a corner of the store dedicated to area charities. A jar will be available for donations, and a different charity will be featured each week.

"This is a way for us to give back to the community," Mary said, pointing out the tremendous amount support she and her brother have received from the people of Genesee County during their sales.

Anyone who would like more information about the store, or would like to volunteer to help set things up, may call Mark at 591-2669 (leave a message).

Notre Dame: Recycling adds up

By Philip Anselmo

It’s been just about a year since members of Miss Betsey Bodine's ND Environmental Awareness Club started actively filling up the large, green and yellow Abitibi recycling container which is located in the parking lot behind Notre Dame! Who says every little piece of paper doesn't add up!

Members of the ND family -faculty and staff, students, parents and friends of ND - can be proud of the fact that 25.27 tons - yes, tons!!! - of paper have been recycled during the past year through our Abitibi!

Congratulations on a job well done and keep up the good work!

Please pass the word . . . you do not have to be a member of the ND family to recycle in our recycling bin! Please encourage your friends, neighbors and relatives to use our Abitibi for recycling their papers and magazines and join us in our attempt to keep our campus - and our little bit of the world - GREEN!

Picture caption:  Student recyclers pose next to the Abitibi pickup truck on Friday, October 3, 2008. (L to R):  Haley Alexander '10, Alex Sandra Morgan '10, Sidney Moag '11, Sophia DelPlato '11 and Paul Teresi '11.

Item submitted by Notre Dame.

Home Depot now recycles compact fluorescent bulbs!

By Darrick Coleman

I heard about this a while ago but forgot about Home Depot's initiative to recycle compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). This is really important as CFLs contain small amounts of mercury which is extremely poisonous. It is actually "illegal" to throw these bulbs in the regular trash. During my recent visit to the Batavia Home Depot I saw one of these CFL recycling boxes. They are located right in front of the returns counter as you enter the store. This is very responsible of Home Depot and we should really take advantage of their efforts! Here is more information from the Home Depot site.

http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/index.html?MAINSECTION=cflrecycling

And here is more information about CFLs and why recycling them is important:

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/wastetypes/universal/lamps/index.htm

 

 

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