Greening Lower Manhattan, Downtown Alliance Hosts Fifth Annual MulchFest and E-Waste Recycling Event in Bowling Green Park
Mulching 319 holiday trees and collecting several tons of electronic waste, the Downtown Alliance hosted its annual MulchFest and Electronic Waste Recycling Event at the south end of Bowling Green Park on Saturday, January 12. To view photos from the event, visit www.flic.kr/s/aHsjDBQfp5.
Lower Manhattan residents dropped off holiday trees that were turned into environmentally friendly mulch, took home mulch to use in flower pots and gardens, and sipped on complimentary warm cider! Free Downtown Connection shuttle buses made special MulchFest stops to trees to the event.
“We’re committed to our Going Green 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friendly way for Lower Manhattan residents to recycle their holiday trees and wreaths and discard their used and outdated electronic goods,” said Downtown Alliance President Elizabeth H. Berger.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.”
As part of its 10th annual 'After the Holidays' series and in conjunction with Mulchfest, the Lower East Side Ecology Center also held its Electronic Waste Recycling Event. Lower Manhattan residents and business owners dropped off unwanted and broken electronics, including computers, monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, cables, TVs, VCRs, DVD players, phones, audio/visual equipment, video games and gaming consoles, and cell phones.
Recycling was free for all residents, small businesses (less than 50 employees), and non-profit organizations.
"This is the nine-year anniversary of our electronic-waste recycling program and it is the perfect time of year to clear out your old gear while you're enjoying your holiday presents. It is especially exciting that as our program becomes more and more popular, we are able to keep more and more e-waste out of landfills and have it recycled responsibly. We take great care to select recyclers that are able to handle e-waste safely and ensure data security because we understand the hesitations that some people have about getting rid of their computer and other electronic equipment,” said Caroline Kruse, Development Director at the Ecology Center.
The day’s events were co-sponsored by Con Edison, the New York City Departments of Sanitation and Parks & Recreation, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, New York City Council Member Margaret Chin, Community Board 1, the FiDi Association, Lower East Side Ecology Center, Tekserve, and Whole Foods.