NEW YORK, New York, November 13, 2008 (ENS) – Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Lauren Zalaznick, president of “Green is Universal,” NBC Universal’s company-wide environmental initiative, Wednesday announced Green Screens, an electronics recycling drive taking place throughout the five boroughs this weekend to mark America Recycles Day November 15.

From 8:00 am through 2:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday, computers, televisions, cell phones, radios, cameras, VCRs, speakers, telephones and other electronics will be collected for free at six locations across the city.

The electronic waste collected at the Green Screen events will be recycled – materials that have value will be recovered and toxins and other hazardous materials will be safely and legally disposed of. An estimated 87.5 percent of electronic waste that could be recycled is instead deposited into landfills each year.

The city and NBC Universal are presenting Green Screens in partnership with NBC 4; Time Warner Cable; the Daily News; radio stations 101.9 RXP, Hot 97, 98.7 Kiss FM, WNYC Radio 93.9 FM and AM 820; Bridgewaters To Go; NYC & Company, GreeNYC – the consumer education platform of PlaNYC; the Council on the Environment for New York City; and the Department of Sanitation.

“This weekend is the time for New Yorkers to take the laptops and computer monitors in the back of the closet and safely recycle them,” said Mayor Bloomberg.

“Recycling is not just about metal, glass, plastic and paper. Electronics are a significant part of the waste stream and we need to do a better job capturing them to meet the ambitious goals in PlaNYC and the Solid Waste Management Plan,” said the mayor.

All goods collected will be recycled by Electronic Recyclers International which has documented its compliance with state and federal regulations.

ERI has a cradle to grave bar code tracking system which tracks all materials through every stage of the recycling process. This system ensures compliance with all environmental regulations, as well the destruction of any personal information contained inside materials that are dropped-off.

ERI was among the first recyclers of e-waste to be certified by the Basel Action Network, a nonprofit environmental watchdog organization, as part of its e-Steward Initiative, an independently audited and accredited electronic waste recycler certification program. The initiative certifies recyclers of e-waste that appropriately recycle electronics to benefit the environment and citizens of the world.

“NBC 4 New York is proud to be a partner in this important and proactive program that will raise awareness about this issue and encourage the community to do its share in keeping our environment safe,” said Tom O’Brien, president and general manager of WNBC.

“We are thrilled to be supporting this worthy cause in partnership with the mayor,” said Zalaznick.” As NBC Universal launches its ‘Green Your Routine’ campaign, we hope to increase awareness among consumers that taking very simple green steps, like recycling a cell phone, will help make New York a more sustainable city.”

NBC Universal “Green Your Routine” encourages viewers and fans to Go Green with green-themed programming across all NBC channels and affiliates aimed at entertaining, informing and empowering Americans to lead greener lives.

NBC Universal will kick off its “Green Week” on its highly rated Sunday Night NFL Football show, “Football Night in America.” The hosts, including MSNBC “Countdown” host Keith Olbermann, will “talk about their Green Routines,” according to the Green is Universal website. The family of networks will air 150 hours of environmental programming November 16 to 22.

The February 17, 2009 transition to digital TV is expected to increase the number of old TVs replaced with newer models. Older cathode ray tube sets contain lead, mercury and other toxins. By recycling these older television sets, New Yorkers can contribute to improving the environment.

These locations will be open from 8:00 am through 2:00 pm to accept obsolete and unwanted electronics for recycling.

* Manhattan
o Saturday only: Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building Plaza (W. 126th St. bet. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. and Malcolm X Blvd.)
o Sunday only: Cooper Square (Cooper Square bet. E. 6th and 7th Sts.)
* Bronx: Saturday and Sunday: Joyce Kilmer Park (Grand Concourse bet. E. 161st and 163rd Sts.)
* Brooklyn: Saturday and Sunday: McCarren Park (Bedford Ave. near N. 12th St.)
* Queens: Saturday and Sunday: Cunningham Park (Union Turnpike bet. 196th Pl. and 197th St.)
* Staten Island: Saturday and Sunday: Staten Island Mall (2655 Richmond Ave. at Parking Lot F)

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NEW YORK, New York, January 30, 2008 (ENS) – Getting more New Yorkers to recycle their magazines and catalogs instead of throwing them in the trash is the goal of a new campaign launched today by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

ReMix – Recycling Magazines is Excellent! – is a national public education campaign that has conducted pilot programs in Boston, Milwaukee, and Portland, Oregon. Now New York City will roll out an intensive advertising push in an effort to reduce the solid waste going into city landfills.

Beginning next week, New Yorkers will see ReMix promotions on buses, taxis and subways, in movie theatres, on cable television, on billboards and in full-page public service advertisements in consumer magazines such as TIME, Cosmopolitan, Country Living and Sports Illustrated. The total value of paid placements and in-kind donations for the ReMix campaign will top $3 million.

“To meet the ambitious goals in our landmark Solid Waste Management Plan, we need to increase recycling rates, and we know we can do a better job recycling magazines and catalogs,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Many New Yorkers don’t realize that magazines, catalogs, phone books, and other kinds of paper are just as recyclable as newspapers and office paper.”

Stacks of old magazines can
be recycled. (Photo credit
unknown)

Some consumers think glossy paper is a contaminant in paper recycling. This may have been true in the early days of recycling, but markets and paper recycling technology have changed and now all community recycling programs accept magazines and catalogs for recycling. Companies need these materials to make new paper products.

The ReMix campaign began when a study by Time Inc. and Verso Paper found that while 95 percent of all unsold newsstand magazines are recycled by newsstands and publishers, only about 17 percent of sold magazines are recycled.

Based in Tennessee, Verso Paper makes the kind of coated papers used in magazines, catalogs, high-end advertising brochures, annual reports and direct-mail advertising.

“Today’s leadership companies recognize that holistically integrating environmental issues into their business operations promotes a sustainable world,” said Time Inc. Director of Sustainable Development David Refkin. “As a New York City-based company, Time is thrilled to bring ReMix to our home town.”

Verso CEO Mike Jackson said, “Today, more than half – 53.4 percent – of all paper consumed in the United States is recovered for reuse. By focusing on catalogs and magazines, we can do even better. And, as an added benefit, diverting magazines and catalogs from landfills for recycling into other products helps reduce methane emissions by reducing the amount of paper that biodegrades in landfills.”

Joining the ReMix effort for the New York City campaign are the Hearst Corporation, which publishes nearly 200 magazines around the world, including Cosmopolitan and O, The Oprah Magazine.

“Recovery and reuse is one of the cornerstones of Hearst’s sustainable paper platform and increasing the recovery of magazines will help meet the growing demand for recovered paper,” said David Schirmer, Hearst Enterprises vice president and general manager.

Other partners are Pratt Industries, Time Warner Cable, the Council on the Environment of New York City and its Office of Recycling Outreach and Education and the New York City Department of Sanitation.

“As the Department of Sanitation works to make our city not only cleaner, but greener, we are always looking for ways to reach out to the public to encourage them to recycle,” said New York Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty. “This public awareness program, supported by leaders in the city’s magazine industry, can help us turn a new page in reducing our solid waste.”

Anthony Pratt, who heads paper and packaging giant Pratt Industries, pointed out, “Recycling is a major weapon against climate change – every ton of paper we divert from the landfill saves 1.2 tons of greenhouse gas emissions from going into the atmosphere.”

“Our national research showed that Americans support recycling, but are often uncertain about what can be recycled,” said Kate Krebs, executive director of the National Recycling Coalition, which is a ReMix partner.

“We know that New Yorkers have embraced recycling as a way to keep waste out of landfills and improve the environment,” she said. “Today, the mayor and city officials, leading companies and advocacy organizations are launching ReMix in New York City to make sure everyone knows just how easy it is to recycle magazines and catalogs right along with their other paper recycling.”

New Yorkers who want more information about ReMix and magazine and catalog recycling may call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov [www.nyc.gov].

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JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, January 4, 2008 (ENS) – Close to half of the municipal solid waste deposited in Missouri’s landfills has the potential to be recycled, according to a solid waste composition study recently completed for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

More than 1.9 million tons of recyclable materials were disposed of in Missouri landfills each year, the study found. If recycled, the potential economic value of the materials as commodities would have been approximately $208 million dollars.

The Midwest Assistance Program Inc. conducted the study between September 2006 and June 2007 by sorting municipal solid waste at 15 solid waste disposal facilities. The waste stream was generated by homes, schools, small businesses and other commercial activities.

The study found nearly 45 percent of the municipal solid waste deposited in Missouri landfills could be recycled, including metals, paper, plastics and glass.

“It is important to focus efforts on recovery of these resources for both their environmental benefits and the economic value derived from recycling them,” said Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers

Recycling could recover materials
worth millions of dollars before
they reach Missouri landfills.
(Photo credit unknown)

“The results of this study will assist Missouri’s 20 solid waste management districts in designing and implementing programs to reduce, reuse and recycle targeted materials within the municipal solid waste sector,” said Childers.

Using recovered materials in manufacturing new products saves energy, money and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, he said.

If recyclable materials in Missouri’s municipal solid waste were recovered instead of disposed of, nearly 28 billion British thermal units of energy could have been saved, equivalent to the amount of energy used by 262,000 houses in a year.

This would amount to cost savings of more than $500 million, based on the average cost of propane for 2006 and 2007, the study estimates.

Today, an important aspect of recycling is its potential to help prevent global climate change, the study points out. By diverting waste from landfills, the amount of methane produced by landfill sites is reduced. Methane is a harmful greenhouse gas and a major contributor to global climate change, but when captured it can be burned for heating and steam generation.

Recycling products rather than producing them from virgin materials produces less carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases during the manufacturing process.

“If the more than 1.9 million tons of municipal solid waste materials were recycled and used in new products instead of using virgin materials, more than 1.1 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions could have been avoided,” Childers said.

The 2006-2007 Missouri Municipal Solid Waste Composition Study is on the department’s website at: www.dnr.mo.gov

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