Downtown Alliance Presents MulchFest and E-Waste Recycling Event 2011

Downtown Connection Shuttle Buses to Bring Residents & Trees to Bowling Green to Recycle Holiday Trees for Free; Lower East Side Ecology Center Joins in to Collect Electronic Waste

The Alliance for Downtown New York will host a MulchFest and Electronic Waste Recycling Event to help New Yorkers avoid a post-holiday headache by collecting holiday trees and unwanted electronic goods on Saturday, January 8, 2011.

The event—run in conjunction with the New York City Departments of Parks and Recreation and Sanitation and the Lower East Side Ecology Center—will take place at the south end of Bowling Green. MulchFest will run from 10 AM to 2 PM, and the Electronic Waste Recycling Event will extend until 4 PM.

“We’re committed to our Green Around Downtown program, and delighted to offer an environmentally friendly way for Downtown residents to recycle their holiday trees and wreaths, but also have a good outlet to discard their used and outdated electronic goods in an environmentally sustainable way,” said Downtown Alliance President Elizabeth H. Berger. “And, with our special Downtown Connection route, getting to Bowling Green will be much easier on a cold winter’s day.”

Of course, the event would not be complete without holiday drinks—hot apple cider and cocoa—and light snacks, and with New York City Department of Sanitation mascots to entertain children.

Last year, nearly 24,000 Christmas trees were recycled citywide. The Lower Manhattan spot is one of 70 chipping and drop-off sites citywide. The Parks Department is recommending that participants remove all lights and ornaments before bringing trees to a MulchFest site.

For the third year, the Downtown Alliance will run a Chip Trip, a special Downtown Connection bus that will stop only at major residential hubs: three stops in Battery Park City and three stops on the east side of the district. The Chip Trip bus will be clearly labeled and will run its route every half hour. Residents and retailers can board the Chip Trip bus with a tree and the bus will transport them to Bowling Green.

When Lower Manhattan residents and retailers bring their trees to turn into environmentally friendly mulch, they can take the mulch back in free recyclable bags to use in flower pots or gardens. Leftover mulch will nourish plantings in parks across the city. Learn more about the City’s program at http://www.nycgovparks.org/services/mulchfest/mulchfest.html#parks.

The event is cosponsored by the New York City Department of Sanitation, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, Con Edison, Whole Foods, Crumbs, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, New York City Council Member Margaret Chin and Community Board 1.

Additionally, the Downtown Alliance has joined forces this year with the Lower East Side Ecology Center and Tekserve to host an electronic waste event. Items that will be accepted are: working and non-working computers, monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, mice, cables, televisions, videocassette recorders, DVD players, phones, audio/visual equipment, cell phones and personal digital assistants.

"We are really excited to have one of our eighth annual ‘After the Holidays’ e-waste events at Bowling Green and to be paired with MulchFest,” said Caroline Kruse, Development Director at the Center. “These events are ideal for putting those New Year’s resolutions into action while also making some room for the new gadgets you got over the holidays."

The Lower East Side Ecology Center is working toward a sustainable New York City by offering community-based recycling and composting programs, developing local stewardship of green space, and increasing community awareness, involvement and youth development through environmental education programs. For more details or for questions about items that can be accepted, visit www.lesecologycenter.org or call (212) 477-4022.
For more details on the event and the Chip Trip, you can visit the Downtown Alliance’s Web site at https://downtownny.com/discover/MulchFest%202010/. We’ve also set up a special hotline for questions about the event at (212) 835-2789.