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Notices & Minutes | Programs Programs Household Hazardous Waste Collections Having conducted a successful Clean Sweep program for disposal of farm pesticides in 1995, GLOW began the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program in 1995. GLOW held two collections each year, alternating counties (though they are always open to residents in all of GLOW’s funding counties) in 1997 and 1998. In 1999 GLOW held a second farm pesticide collection, having received funding from the EPA to do so. In 2000 GLOW resumed the household hazardous waste collections, conducting two collections each May, until 2003. Single collections began in 2004 and are expected to continue. The 2007 collection was held in Batavia, Genesee County. For a copy of the Executive Summary for this collection scroll to the Brochures, Materials & Services section of this website. A copy of the 2006 Final Report will be mailed upon request if desired. These collections provide residents with an opportunity to dispose of unwanted household chemicals and cleaning products, pesticides, oil base paint, varnish and furniture strippers, vehicle fluids and oil filters, lead-acid batteries and propane tanks Vs and home computers, along with a host of other materials. All materials are accepted at no charge except for tires. The mainstay of the program is GLOW’s system of appointments. The day is broken into 15 minute intervals. 15 to 19 residents are scheduled for each interval. This system allows GLOW and its vendors to unload resident’s vehicles quickly and efficiently. It allows GLOW to educate residents when they call for an appointment and helps control costs by limiting the number of residents to 350 and having residents bring only the accepted materials. GLOW begins to take appointments in mid March and maintains a “Notification List” between events. The 2008 collection is scheduled for May in Livingston County. For more information or to be placed on the “Notification List” for this collection complete and send or email the form located under “Brochures, Materials and Services. To email an appointment request, complete and email or fax the form in the “Brochures, Materials and Services” section of this website (after March 12, 2008). Mat-Ex: Western/Central New York Materials Exchange Mat-Ex is a reuse program that was started by GLOW and two other counties in 1992 to provide businesses, institutions and government agencies with a means of disposing of scrap or surplus items without landfilling or incinerating them. In 1997 GLOW assumed administrative functions of the program and invited other counties to join as partners. The program now encompasses most of Western and Central New York State and includes 19 counties. The 2007 Partners are: GLOW (Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming), Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Cayuga, Erie, Monroe, Oneida-Herkimer, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins and Western Finger Lakes Region (Wayne and Yates). The program can also be used by residents and farms. The program is available via the Internet at www.mat-ex.org or by a hardcopy catalog, which is published three times per year. Items can be listed under “Materials Available” or “Materials Wanted”. Listed materials must be non-hazardous and things that would otherwise be destined for a landfill or incinerator. Materials should be listed for free, or at minimal cost. The program is not to be used to make a profit or commercial gain. Listers are contacted directly by those interested in the material. Neither GLOW nor its Partners take physical possession of the materials. Transportation arrangements are made directly between the Lister and the Respondent. Those using the program are required to track exchanges and provide the information to GLOW. Doing so provides GLOW with information to measure the program’s success, justify funding and calculate recovery rates. Over the years this program has kept thousands of tons of materials out of area landfills and incinerators. Notable exchanges include the following:
Backyard Composting It is estimated that 15% of residential waste consists of yard waste. An additional 1 to 2% is food waste. When multiplied by the number of households in the Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming County region this represents a significant amount of waste. And it makes little sense for this material to be landfilled, where it will be entombed and see very little biodegradation. The solution? Composting. From the beginning GLOW has encouraged this very simple solution to a large problem. GLOW encourages composting through the following:
America Recycles GLOW continues to participate in this national program that promotes composting, buying recycled content products and recycling. The program, which began in 1997 as America Recycles Day, asks people to sign pledge cards to show their commitment to recycling. By doing so they are eligible to win local, regional, state and national prizes. GLOW has participated in the program since its start by running advertisements in local pennysavers and papers and by giving away an Earth Machine® composter (donated by Norseman Plastics, Inc.) Western NY America Recycles Day Coordinating Committee. A few years into the program GLOW was invited to join this group. It is made up of municipal, corporate and school officials throughout the area. The group’s primary focus is on schools. A packet with a lesson plan, pledge card master and prize and program information is mailed to area schools. The schools collecting the highest percentage of pledge cards to school population win ice cream parties for the entire school. Individual students signing pledges are then eligible (and frequently do) win other regional, state and national prizes. Schools in the GLOW region who have won ice cream parties over the years include:
School
packets for this program are sent out in September. Please contact the
GLOW office at glow@co.genesee.ny.us
if you or your school are interested and haven’t received a copy
of the packet. In conjunction with the America Recycles program, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, along with corporate sponsors, hosts a poster contest. The themes of the contest are:
Twelve
winners are chosen from throughout the state. Winners have their posters
put on a calendar that is distributed throughout the state, and are
recognized at the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and
Recycling annual fall conference. Presentations One of GLOW’s primary roles is education-to both children and adults. Staff participates in events such as Cooperative Extension’s Conservation Education Field Days, as well as Earth Day and other events. Staff is available to do school, as well as community presentations. Teaching tools include:
Feel free to contact the GLOW office to make arrangements for a presentation at your location. This service is provided at No Charge to schools and community groups in GLOW’s funding counties. Stop Unwanted Junk Mail One of the best, and easiest ways to reduce waste is to eliminate unwanted junk mail. GLOW has a “Stop Junk Mail” postcard that will do just that. By filling it out and mailing it to the Direct Marketing Association (the card is pre-addressed) you can be taken off junk mail lists for five (5) years. By calling a toll free number on the instruction section of the card, you can be removed from credit card solicitation lists-permanently if you so choose. Contact the GLOW office to obtain the cards or copy and mail the information located in the Brochures, Materials and Services section of this website. Technical Assistance One advantage of a cooperative effort that spans multiple counties and is focused on one issue (waste) is that information can be compiled and available from just one source. The GLOW office has information on a variety of waste/recycling/reuse related topics. This information is provided to residents, schools, municipalities, institutions and farmers. Information that has been provided in the past includes:
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