More Good News
3.12.08 Greensboro Makes America’s Greenest Cities List
Greensboro was rated last on America’s 50 Greenest Cities List, Feb. 8, 2008 (see popsi.com). While making the list is quite remarkable, being last when our name is “green” seems somewhat ironic.
There is a great need in our area and all across the nation for more education regarding environmental sustainability. One way we can all raise our city’s rating and sustainable health is with recycling. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) states that current national recycling efforts reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 49.9 million metric tons of carbon equivalent, which is equivalent to the annual GHG emissions from 39.6 million passenger cars!
The EPA estimates that 75% of what Americans throw in the trash could be recycled. Today, only 32.5% is recycled, however this is a rate that has almost doubled during the past 15 years (see EPA January 2008 municipal solid waste report). There are many communities in California setting new recycling records, surpassing 60% waste diversion levels and a few have even endorsed zero waste goals! I was pleased to learn that 82% of the recyclables collected in Greensboro are sold to make new recycled products — to the tune of a clean profit of 1.2 million dollars in 2007.
I found this information confusing with the City of Greensboro dropping residential recycling pick-up to every other week with a “Save the Earth Every Other Week” campaign. I was told that the majority of Greensboro residents were only putting their recycling cans out every other week (this isn’t true in my neighborhood, we have many loyal recyclers in the Lindley Park area) and that the City Council had voted this to be a good way to help with the budget limitations the city is now experiencing, what with fuels for the trucks, labor and such. Seems to me, that if we recycled more, we could bring in more much needed revenue from it.
I spoke with several people in businesses in the downtown area who want to learn how to recycle as well. I recognized a great need to simplify the questions of just exactly what can and can not be recycled in order to bring our percentages up to make Greensboro greener.
As the Creative Director of a green agency in downtown Greensboro, I again saw an opportunity to create more awareness towards sustaining our planet when the proprietor of the Guilford Building in which we are located asked us to help educate the 400 tenants there on business recycling. In our efforts to do so, we created easy-to-use “Recycling Simplified” charts for Greensboro businesses and residences (including a simplified version for kids) — all three charts are available as free downloadable pdfs. These charts have also been given to the City of Greensboro’s marketing department and other interested organizations and are being shared citywide.
Free educational talks:
You can also schedule free educational talks on recycling for your neighborhood or organization through the City of Greensboro at 336.373.2053 and 336.373.2342. There are many ways to make this city greener and it couldn’t be a more important time to do so.
Five years ago, I began planting seeds that the green tipping point was coming and I was brushed away like an annoying gnat. I’m still singing the praises of sustainability and I feel that it needs to be more than just how to be “green” and profit from it as so many are doing now. I believe that there are also those of us who want to do the right thing, simply because we care about the environment and the generations to come.
I like the city’s “Don’t waste another day” campaign better as it encourages us to save the Earth every single day. The Earth is giving us valuable resources and now more than ever, we need to respect those resources. When we all come together and look at partnering with the Earth as our companion and ally and drop the idea of “ownership” of our planet, then we will truly be in alignment with what going green is all about — mankind living in harmony with the Earth. Make every day Earth day, not just on April 22nd, but every single day.
Terry Rader
Creative Director
Kirschner Agency
Greensboro, NC
See two attached recycle chart pdf files:
one is for use at work titled: “Business Recycle Charts”
there are two “Residential Recycle Charts”, one for adults and one is for kids
Recycling Pick up for businesses:
I spoke with Mike Green of City of Greensboro. He is in charge of Business recycling with the City’s “Team Recycle Program”
He said the businesses could call him at 336.335.5444 to ask that recycling bags be dropped off. Businesses are to put the bags out each evening on the curb (not on the street) in front of the building(s).
The City of Greensboro will pick up the filled bags on Monday thru Saturday mornings (not on Sundays) at 5am.
Additional recycling facts:
Courtesy of City of Greensboro
The City of Greensboro’s residential recycling program, which began in 1994, is one of the most comprehensive in the southeast. The 96-gallon containers located at each home make it easy to recycle and all recyclable materials can go in the same container. The program accepts a wide variety of materials including bottles, cans, cardboard, paper, etc. In 2007, the program was expanded to include hard plastics, such as milk crates, laundry baskets and plastic yard furniture.
The City also operates a recycling program for businesses. Some businesses have saved 30 percent on waste removal costs by diverting their recyclables from a garbage container to a recycling dumpster.
In addition, Greensboro has nine drop–off locations where residents can take any large or extra recyclables they may have.
Beginning in January, a state bill began requiring ABC permit holders — Greensboro’s bars and restaurants — to recycle all bottles and cans. More than 138 tons have been collected in the program so far.
The City also collects Christmas trees after the holiday and turns them into mulch/compost.
The City operates a HHWC where E-waste such as telephones, computers and televisions can be recycled.
The City of Greensboro has collected an average of 30,000 tons of recyclables each year for the past 5 years.
Once collected, the City takes recyclables to FCR, where they are sorted and sold. 82% of the recyclables taken to FCR are sold to make new recycled products. The other 18% are either non-recyclable items that were in recycling containers by mistake or recyclables that were contaminated by paint or grease.
In 2007, the City received $1.2 million in revenue from the sale of recycled items.