An e-Newsletter of ARC's Green Communities Program September 2017 Is Recycling Broken?In 2014, six months after the residents of Lowell, Mass. received new 96-gallon recycling carts, Gunther Wellenstein got a “nastygram.” The letter, from recycling contractor Waste Management, said unrecyclable items were making their way into the carts. What he found ranged from the mundane -- plastic forks, metal coat hangers, trash bags and even food waste -- to the outrageous -- diapers, syringes, appliances, bowling balls, doggie beds. He even found a cart full of leaves. “It was like people were saying, ‘Well, my trash can is full, but I’ve got room over here in the recycling cart.’” Green Communities SpotlightCommunity Residential Glass Recycling Local governments can earn points for Green Communities Measure #56 by providing curbside recycling to single-family residents through local operations or solid waste and recycling contractors, or by offering glass recycling drop-off points in the community. If curbside recycling is offered by contractors, the local government should require the contractor to recycle – and properly handle – glass. The city of Decatur contracts with Latham Home Sanitation Company to provide curbside glass recycling service to all residents. Residents use a two-bin system – one for glass, and another for paper, plastics, and metal. The glass is placed in a separate bin on Latham’s trucks and taken to the Strategic Materials glass processing facility in College Park. Make it PersonalWhat NOT to Put in the Recycling Bin
Sustainability News ClipsGreen news from near and far: Atlanta ranks third in nation for ‘green’ building standards Georgia Tech Living Building plans construction launch in September College Park uses AMI to increase efficiency and save money Energy efficiency is key in Atlanta and U.S. cities’ push for 100 percent renewable energy Atlanta meets smog standards as EPA delays reducing them City bike share adds stations on Georgia Tech campus Building a sustainable ‘highway of the future’ in Georgia Interface: now you can sequester carbon in the carpet 3 ways to make your city’s waste less wasteful Cities are trying to end pedestrian deaths. New data suggests they’re making progress. The case for the disconnected commute In most states, a spike in ‘super commutes’ over 90 minutes long Tactics of diversion: measuring and reporting zero waste targets Envisioning nature-rich cities Better buildings challenge partners save $1.9 billion
Get Green for Going Green 2017 Water Reflections Calendar Photo Contest Georgia Urban Forestry Awards Funding for Curbside Recycling Carts Funding for Scrap Tire Cleanup LED Street Lighting Solutions and Training Urban Land Institute 2017 Technical Assistance Panels Kresge Fdn. Healthy Housing & Neighborhoods Initiative Ford Fdn. Sustainable Development Grant SolSmart Community Designation Green by the Numbers 84 – percent of energy saved per pound of recycled plastic Sustainability HappeningsNorcross Local Food Forum Aglanta Forum TreeKeepers 2017 Athens Sustainability Summit 2017 Trees as Green Stormwater Infrastructure Program Sustainability Conversations College Canopy Conference Sustainability Interactive Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Climate Change Conference Growing Sustainable Communities Conference 2017 EcoDistricts Summit TRANSFORM 2017 Green Infrastructure – Learn the Environmental, Community and Economic Benefits The Green Matters e-newsletter is designed to give you a glimpse of important sustainability initiatives happening around the metro Atlanta region and beyond. Whether it's the latest research, new educational offerings, environmental stewardship efforts or potential funding opportunities, this e-newsletter will help you stay abreast of what's happening in this important subject area. |