New York

Recycling on Long Island

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Guide to Recycling on Long Island

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Recycling in Long Island is changing. The U.S. used to sell much of its recyclables to China. But last year, China banned the import of most recyclables. Suddenly, municipalities including our local LI towns, had no place to bring their recyclables. The recycling center in Brookhaven actually shut down due to this change. Several towns switched back from single stream recycling (where paper, plastic and glass could all be mixed together), back to "dual stream," meaning households must sort paper vs plastic & glass.

  • Three LI towns have stopped picking up glass: Brookhaven, Smithtown, and Oyster Bay (though residents can drop off at Smithtown drop-off locations).
  • Three LI towns - Brookhaven, Smithtown, and Southold - have also limited their plastics recycling to plastics numbers 1 and 2 (numbers are found on the bottom of plastic containers).
  • These above three Towns, as well as Huntington, Islip and Hempstead, do not accept plastic #6 which includes Styrofoam as well as many sushi takeout trays.
  • Plastic bags (made from plastic #4) are recyclable - at grocery stores - NOT in your blue bin municipal pickup.
  • All LI Towns accept rinsed out aluminum trays and cans. No aerosol spray cans.

Always rinse out containers. Another issue is "wish-cycling" or "aspirational" recycling, meaning putting items in the bin that are not recyclable. This can contaminate the pile, which is too difficult to sort, so the pile gets thrown out. Examples of this are paper milk or juice containers that are lined with wax or plastic. Note that many towns offer recycling of electronic waste (e-waste) at drop-off facilities. Recycling programs will continue to change as the U.S. improves its domestic recycling opportunities. Always check your Town's website and calendar for details of days for pickup, and toxic substance disposal.

CLICK FOR SIMPLE COMPARISON OF LONG ISLAND TOWN RECYCLING:

End of Year Outlook & Sharing Event

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End of Year Outlook & Sharing Event

Catch the highlights from the End of Year Outlook and Sharing Event by Green Inside and Out in this recording. This virtual gathering brought together eco-conscious minds to reflect, celebrate, and strategize for a greener future. Enjoy insightful discussions, innovative ideas, and a shared commitment to sustainability. Subscribe for more on our journey towards environmental stewardship. ⤵️

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Eco Friendly Pest Control Companies on Long Island

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Why Organic Pest Control?

We all want to feel safe in our homes, but by adding pesticides into our living space we may be impacting our family’s health. Children are especially susceptible to risks from chemical exposure.

  • A large body of evidence has linked certain pesticides with breast and other cancers, including Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
  • Certain pesticides are suspected of disrupting the body's hormone system (endocrine disruption) by mimicking or blocking natural estrogens and other hormones.
  • Some pesticides, especially insecticides, can damage the nervous system and affect IQ. Some studies are linking pesticide exposure with Parkinson’s disease & autism.

Which LI Companies Provide Safer, Less Toxic Pest Control?

Green Inside and Out has identified companies as offering less harmful pest control by using methods such as pest monitoring and products that are less toxic, bio-based, and/or EPA Exempt (considered safe enough to not require EPA registration). This list is not necessarily comprehensive. Customers should always specifically request safer methods and receive a list of treatment methods/products in writing. Also ask for humane traps (non-lethal) for pest animals.

TIP: It is not advisable to spray chemicals indoors where they can be inhaled. Baits keep any chemical enclosed to reduce exposure. The toxic effect is a combination of the chemical’s toxicity level and the amount of exposure to it.

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Do You Know What Solvent Your Dry Cleaner Uses?

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Dry cleaner with signage in Suffolk County, Long Island, NY

Headed back to work and using dry cleaning services again? If you live in Suffolk County NY, you may have noticed that you have access to information that others do not. Thanks to Legislator Kara Hahn, as of 2019, Suffolk County dry cleaners must provide signage on their methods. The Local Law to Increase Awareness of Dry Cleaning Chemical Use (Local Law 15-2016) requires dry cleaners to post a sign in the window and on/near the counter, that lists the types of solvents/methods they use. The sign, produced by the Suffolk Health Department, is color-coded and provides an easy-to-understand guide showing both the health and environmental impacts of the method in use-- helping empower YOU as the consumer to make the best choices. If a sign is not displayed in visible locations at your dry cleaner, you can notify the County Health Department at 631-854-2501.

 Most dry cleaners still use PERC, which is classified as a likely human carcinogen, a nerve toxin, and can also damage the liver and kidneys. It can vaporize into the air, so some states prohibit PERC use in storefront dry cleaners located below apartment dwellings. In California, all PERC machines must be out of use by 2023.

 There are several alternatives to PERC:

  1. Hydrocarbons: petrochemical based solvents that studies have found to be eye and skin irritants, and to cause headaches and dizziness at high doses. It is yet undetermined whether hydrocarbons cause cancer.  *NOTE* Typically, if a dry cleaner is using hydrocarbon they advertise it as “organic.” Do not be confused by this—the word organic in this context is referring to the chemistry of the substance being carbon based, not that the cleaner is chemical-free. Use of this word in dry cleaning ads is prohibited in Suffolk County.
  2. Wet cleaning: clothes washed with a commercial grade detergent in a specialized machine. Generally considered the greenest of all the options.
  3. Greenearth, or liquid siloxane: Degrades into silica and has no human health effects, though studies found lab animals developed tumors if exposed to high concentrations.
  4. Liquid CO2: Pressurized CO2 in a specialized machine; sometimes may also use some detergent as well.
  5. Butylal or K4- there is insufficient toxicological and health information to determine the safety of butylal on human health, but data so far is promising that it does not pose an environmental hazard. 

 Green Inside and Out is happy to have helped develop and drive support for this signage law, and is working to do the same in Nassau County. Want to help? Write your Nassau legislator.

Want to find a greener dry cleaner on LI? Check out our Dry Cleaning resources and download our "green paper" called “Defining Green Dry Cleaning” produced in collaboration with Prevention is the Cure.

What Kind of Water Filter Should You Have?

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Water is a necessity for humans, animals and plants. As we take steps to clean up our oceans, lakes, and rivers, so too we must pay attention to the quality of water in our homes and communities. Municipal water treatment facilities are responsible for maintaining the quality of drinking water by removing many harmful contaminants found in it, but not all substances can be filtered away with one-hundred percent efficacy. Any contaminants that make their way past mechanical filtration systems tend to be so small that specialized filtration mechanisms may be required to sift them apart. The common household products we use on a daily basis such as dish soaps, shampoos and detergents may further contribute to the decreasing purity of our groundwater aquifers beneath the ground, which the source of our water here on Long Island.

We can take extra steps in reducing the pollutants in our groundwater by choosing less toxic products such as plant-based soaps and detergents found at health food stores, vs. the typical name brands which are petroleum based and may contain harmful contaminants such as 1,4 dioxane (as well as fragrances containing hormone-disrupting phthalates). Local wildlife also relies on a healthy water ecosystem—after water goes through treatment or our cesspool/septic system, it goes back to our waterways... 

We can also protect our own health through the installation of home water filters that target specific contaminants such as volatile organic compounds, pesticides, and other chemicals. And although purchasing a home water filter may be an expense, it is worth it to prevent the risk of illnesses, and is cheaper and less wasteful than drinking from plastic water bottles. Below is a list of some of the common harmful ingredients found in daily-use products that further pollute the quality of our water:

•   Synthetic perfumes/fragrances – common in lotions, soaps, detergents, shampoos, and conditioners.

◦   Impedes the lymphatic system process of cleaning your body of toxic antigens and wastes

•   Potassium Sorbates & phenoxyethanol – found in hair-care products and some cosmetics. 

◦   Can cause contact dermatitis, organ toxicity and irritates the skin, scalp, eyes, or lungs

•   Dimethicone – found in lubricants, moisturizers, and cosmetics.

◦   Can cause skin and scalp irritation due to the chemical trapping bacteria within the skin. 

◦   Non-biodegradable

•   Formaldehydes (DMDM Hydantoin, Bronopol, quaternium-15, and others) – found in cosmetics, baby shampoos, body soaps, and hair gels. 

◦   Skin irritations and rashes caused by skin PH sensitivity and allergic reactions

◦   Carcinogenic

•   Contaminants – unplanned byproducts of the multitudes of ingredients mixed into products.

◦   Are NOT listed in product labels due to the unpredictability of byproduct outcomes.

◦   Some known harmful contaminants:

‣   1,4-dioxane

‣   formaldehydes 

‣   polyethylene glycol

‣   polyethylene ceteareth

‣   talcum

‣   butane and isobutene

‣   coal tar

‣   Heavy solids (lead, nickel, and others)

Many types of water filters can be outfitted into your home to help filter out different contaminants. It is recommended that you have your home’s water tested to see which pollutants may be present. It may also be of benefit to check your county/state Annual Water Quality Reports as a reference to the general safety. Attached below are links to the New York State Annual Water Quality Support, and we encourage any readers out-of-state to search for their respective state’s reports. Additionally, please see our Water Filter Factsheet for a brief synopsis covering the types of water filters that can tackle the contaminants according to the specifications needed in your home’s water quality. 

Helpful Links:

NYS Annual Water Quality Report

View / Download: Water Filter Factsheet by Green Inside and Out

85% of Textiles- That’s What We Waste

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At the recent Textile Waste Summit in New York City, there were fashion designers creating patterns that produce fewer fabric scraps, the NYC Department of Sanitation talking about their Donate NYC app to find clothing collection bins around the city, and nonprofit organizations helping to educate and create markets for recycled fabrics. It was all to address a major area of waste—textiles.

According to the NYS Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling (NYSAR)’s Re-Clothe NY Campaign, the average NY resident puts 70lbs of clothing, shoes and other textiles in the trash each year (it’s an average 80lbs/pp nationwide). That adds up to:

  • 1.4 billion lbs of clothing and textile waste per year in NY (NYSDEC)
  • 15 million tons wasted annually in the U.S. on whole.

Almost all fabrics can be recycled – pure fabric fibers can easily be recycled into new fabrics, and fabric blends (meaning those that combine cotton with polyester, for example) are a bit more difficult to recycle because the materials must be separated out, but it can be done. Unfortunately most of this waste is put in landfills, some is incinerated, and some is used to make car seat stuffing and insulation materials.

What is the best option for consumers? Only buy what you need and make it last. The second best option is clothing donation. Clothing that is clean and wearable can be donated to various thrift stores for resale such as Goodwill or Salvation Army. Anything that does not get sold within a certain time period is usually sent to developing nations for their second hand market.

For more info see:

Hear my radio interview with Dan Lilkas Rain of NYSAR here.

Live in NYC?

Apartment buildings with 10 or more units can sign up for refashionNYC, a partnership between NYC and Housing Works that provides convenient, in-building drop-off service for clothing, accessories, and textiles. Free donation bins available. NYC has a goal of zero waste to landfills by 2030! #0X30