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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 2020 collection was held in Mt. Morris, Livingston County on September 19th. A separate electronics collection was held on September 26th, also in Mt. Morris. For a copy of the Executive Summary for this collection scroll to the Brochures, Materials & Services section of this website. A copy of final reports for both collectins can be obtained by contacting the GLOW office. The 2023 collection will be held August 26th in Livingston County. A separate electronics collection will be held on September 23th, also in Livingston County. See brochures under “Brochures and Materials”. 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, along with a host of other materials. All materials are accepted at no charge except for tires. The mainstay of these programs is GLOW’s system of appointments. The day is broken into 15 minute intervals. 25-30 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 and having residents bring only the accepted materials. GLOW begins to take appointments 6 weeks before the collections and maintains a “Notification List” between events. 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 12 counties. The 2021 Partners are: GLOW (Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming), Allegany, Broome, Chautauqua, Monroe, Oneida-Herkimer, Seneca, Ontario and Steuben. The program can also be used by residents and farms. The program is available via the Internet at www.mat-ex.org or emailed in pdf format twice a year. A limited number of hard copies are mailed upon request. 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:
Advertising Campaign
Each year GLOW runs two (2) advertisements in local penny savers, one to encourage backyard composting and a second for the GLOW/NY Recycles program (see below).
Those responding to the composting advertisement are sent a packet with a Home Composting Made Easy booklet, a compost static sticker, directions and information on
how homemade and manufactured units, along with some other information. Sixty-five residents responded and received packets. From the responses GLOW draws a
name for an Earth Machine composter. The 2022 composter was won by Cathy Maggio of Livingston County. Laurie McMememy of Genesee County won a food scrap bin for
visiting the Genesee County Park and Forest Composting Demonstration site and answering four (4) questions related to the site.
Residents responding to the GLOW/NY Recycles ad pledge to compost, recycle more and buy recycled content products. The first 60 residents responding
to the ad (being published November 15, 2023 in local penny savers), are mailed a reusable ChicoBag.
GLOW/New York Recycles
The twenty-fourth annual GLOW/New York/America Recycles Program, a program to encourage recycling, composting and the purchase of recycled content products will be
held in November. GLOW continues its focus on schools in the region with an abbreviated program. On November 15th GLOW will email principals and environmental clubs
at all area schools. Participating classes will be asked to describe their ongoing environmental efforts. Students in the top eight classrooms and environmental
clubs will receive packets of GLOW’s post-it note pads. In 2019 four school groups participated including an environmental club at Keshequa Central School, a high school
class at Oakfield-Alabama High School, the Honor Society at Pavilion Middle/High School and the Student Council at Perry Jr. High School.
Fifty-two students received recycled
content pens, New York Recycles calendars and post-it note pads. Though few in number, the submissions from those participating show real dedication to
the environment. Likely due to the pandemic, there was no response from schools in 2022.
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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