Downtown Alliance Presents MulchFest and E-Waste Recycling 2011
Lower Manhattan residents arrived at Bowling Green
Saturday for the Downtown Alliance’s MulchFest and Electronic Waste Recycling Event—and they weren’t empty handed. Many carried holiday trees from the recent season, and others brought electronic goods to be recycled. Most took the free Downtown Connection Chip Trip bus, arranged specially for Saturday’s third-annual event. At the end, the Alliance recycled 243 trees. The Bowling Green location was one of 70 chipping and drop-off sites for the citywide MulchFest event.
“We’re committed to our Going Green Downtown initiative and delighted to offer an environmentally friendly way for Lower Manhattan residents to recycle their holiday trees and wreaths and discard their used and outdated electronic goods,” said Downtown Alliance President Elizabeth H. Berger. “And our special Downtown Connection route made getting to Bowling Green so much easier on a cold winter day. Thanks to everyone for coming, and to our sponsors. We look forward to seeing Lower Manhattan residents, workers and visitors at our annual Spring Community Planting Day this May in Mannahatta Park.”
"Despite the cold, we had a really good turnout Saturday, with some people walking up with their e-waste on one arm and dragging their Christmas tree with the other,” said Caroline Kruse, Development Director at the Lower East Side Ecology Center. “We filled a truck with literally tons of TVs, computers, monitors, and other types of electronic equipment and all of the material that we collected will be processed locally and will not be sent to landfills or to the developing world."
Saturday’s event was sponsored by the New York City Departments of Parks and Recreation and Sanitation, and the Lower East Side Ecology Center, Tekserve, Consolidated Edison, Whole Foods, Crumbs Bake Shop, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, New York City Council Member Margaret Chin and Community Board 1.Council Member Chin, along with State Sen. Daniel Squadron, attended the event.
To view photos from the event, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/downtownny/sets/72157625793099050/ And check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzcs1_0kCBk to see a video from Saturday.
Participants with electronics registered for a raffle to win a new MacBook Air ($999 value). All participants in the event also received: (1) a coupon for a $25 discount on a Mac, iPad, or iPod (except iPod shuffle) purchased by March 31st, 2011; (2) an exclusive discount on an eco-friendly 23-inch LCD from Samsung; and (3) a coupon for the iconic "I Recycle NY" t-shirt, free with purchase at Tekserve.
Additionally, Zipcar members flashed their Zipcards and received a $15 driving credit.
To the delight of many on this raw winter day, the event will include hot apple cider and cocoa from Whole Foods Market. And children enjoyed the company of the New York City Department of Sanitation mascots. For the third year, the Downtown Alliance will ran a free Chip Trip, a special Downtown Connection bus that stopped only at major residential hubs: three stops in Battery Park City and three stops on the east side of the district.
MulchFest/E-Waste Recycling is part of the Downtown Alliance’s Going Green Downtown Initiative, dedicated to building an environmentally sustainable Lower Manhattan. Other events in the series include the annual October Adopt A Geranium and Fall Community Planting days in Bowling Green, and Spring Community Planting Day in Mannahatta Park on Wall Street, held in early May.