News & Events
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Job postings
MEDP & WM Position Vacancy
The Materials Exchange Development Program (MEDP) and NYC WasteMatch are currently soliciting applications from qualified individuals to fill a full-time, mid-level Program Associate position that will serve both programs. For a more detailed job description and application instructions please Click Here.
In the News
Manhattan Inn Built Mostly From Build it Green! NYC Materials
(11/23/09) Manhattan Inn, a new bar/restaurant in Greenpoint, was built almost entirely from stuff from Sector Member BIG! NYC Read the full article online.
How to Give Anything Away
(11/15/09) New York Magazine suggests a few organizations (and sector members, Career Gear, City Harvest, Housing Works, Foodbank NYC, NY Cares and Room to Grow!) for donating your stuff, money, or time. Read the full article online.
A Fresh Idea From The Recycle Bin
(11/5/09) A SoHo clothing store aims to create a space using materials that were almost entirely rooted in New York City's waste stream. Read the full article online.
Just Opened Film Biz Recycling PROPS
(10/29/09) Sector member Film Biz Recycling opens PROPS, an annex accessible to the public consumer and full of Film Biz’s discounted, nearly brand-new TV, film and commercial set props. Read the full article online.
Rethinking Laundry in the 21st Century
(10/25/09) On college campuses, in subdivisions, hotels and even prisons, efforts to transform the way Americans do their laundry are steadily building. Save energy, save money: what’s not to like!? It turns out that it takes persistence and research. Read the full article online.
Nudging Recycling From Less Waste to None
(10/19/09) The movement is simple in concept if not always in execution: Produce less waste. Shun polystyrene foam containers or any other packaging that is not biodegradable. Recycle or compost whatever you can. Companies, cities, and residents strive for a zero waste lifestyle. Read the full article online.
CVS Offers Coupons for Reusing Bags
(10/15/09) Get paid to re-use! CVS launches CVS ExtraCare Rewards Program to benefit customers who reuse shopping bags. Card members will receive $1 coupons for every four times they reuse a bag. Read the full article online.
50 Ways to Never Waste Food Again
(10/13/09) Simple ideas that make a big difference in your budget and help save resources too. Read the full article online.
NY Giants’ Steve Smith Gives to Goodwill!!
(10/11/09) Everyone’s giving to MEDP member, Goodwill this Fall – even New York’s biggest football stars are getting in on the action! Congratulations to Randy Levitt and all our friends at Goodwill of Greater NY & NJ! Read the full article online.
DKNY and City Harvest Fight Hunger with Social Media
(10/2/09) DKNY is joining forces with City Harvest, the world’s first and New York City’s only food rescue program, to feed NYC through Facebook. Read more about the campaign and how to help Here.
It’s Easy Being Green
(9/24/09) It IS easy being Green! Paul Krugman (NYT) looks at the economic effects of the Waxman-Markey climate bill. Guess what? It's cheeper than we thought! Read the full article online.
News Archives
For past news items, please visit MEDP's News Archives.
Upcoming Events
Holiday Extravaganza at Film Biz Recycling
Location: 43-26 12th Street, 2nd Floor, Long Island City, NY
Description: Hate spending money on costly holiday decorations only to be used for such a short time? Now you can do what the professionals do. Rent your Christmas decorations and party supplies from Film Biz Recycling for a fraction of the price! All items in house come from film, television, and TV commercials. Shoppers have the option to rent and return after the holiday, or rent to own if you can’t live without it. Be sure to shop the other non-holiday aisles for thousands of unique gifts sure to please that hard-to-shop-for person on your list. Visit Film Biz Recycling to learn more, or go directly to the holiday website.
New York Cares Kicks Off 21st Annual Coat Drive
When: December 1 to 31, 2009
Description: New York Cares collects nearly 70,000 gently used winter coats each December and distributes them to thousands of men, women, and children who would otherwise be cold. Did you know that 90% of homeless adults need a new, warm coat each winter because they have no place to keep one over the summer months? But it's not just homeless people who need our help; thousands of New Yorkers each year are forced to make a choice between buying a winter coat and putting food on the table, or meeting other basic survival needs. Donate your time, money, and, of course, COATS to make this December more successful than ever! Visit New York Cares for more information.
Room to Grow Hosts 2009 Family Holiday Party and Toy Drive
When: November 1 to December 3, 2009
Description: Room to Grow’s annual Family Holiday Party and Toy Drive is a chance for the client families and children to gather together and celebrate the holiday season - as well as a chance for supporters to give back to children in need. You can help make the party a success by ensuring every child receive a special gift of a new educational toy. Visit Rosie Hippo to arrange your toy donation today. There is a 35% discount on the toys for the party, with free gift wrap and shipping. In addition, for every order over $100 placed between November 1st and December 31, 2009, Rosie Hippo will donate a toy to Room to Grow. Visit the Room to Grow’s registry for more information.
Shop the Block at Housing Works Chelsea Thrift Shop
When: Sunday, December 6, 2009
Where: West 17th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, NYC
Description: Housing Works Chelsea Thrift Shop and West 17th Street business neighbors welcome you to Shop the Block this holiday season. Visit 17th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues for holiday shopping, festive treats, warm beverages, and good cheer. Present a print-out of the online offer at West 17th Street businesses, including Housing Works, to enjoy exclusive, one-day-only discounts. For a list of participating businesses and exclusive offers available, visit Housing Works Shop the Block.
Sustainable NYC: Much Ado About Mulching
When: Sunday, December 6, 2009 10:00 am -12:00pm
Where: Sustainable NYC, 139 Avenue A, NYC
Cost: $5
Description: Join the Manhattan Compost Project and Tompkins Square's Garden Expert, Michael Lytle, for a composting and mulching basics class. The class will begin with an indoor lecture and then move outside into Tompkins Square Park for hands-on demonstrations of mulching and other sustainable lawn care techniques. Outdoor composting bins will be available for purchase at reduced prices. Registration required. For more information and to register, visit Lower East Side Ecology Center online.
LES Ecology Center EcoBizNYC Sustainable Business Workshop: Eco-awareness & Incentive Building
When: Tuesday, December 8, 2009 6:00 -7:30pm
Where: Green Depot, 222 Bowery, NYC
Description: This Eco-Awareness and Incentive Building Workshop of Lower East Side Ecology Center’s EcoBizNYC Program is focused to teach strategies and techniques in order to increase participation in green initiatives, involve neighbors and community, increase awareness, and generate revenue through green marketing. Registration is recommended. Workshop attendees will get a 10% discount on all Green Depot purchases on the night of the workshop while 10% of evening sales will benefit Asian Americans For Equality’s Green Youth Program & the Lower East Side Ecology Center’s EcoBizNYC Program. For more information and to register, visit Lower East Side Ecology Center online.
Just Food & NYU Host NYC Food & Climate Summit
When: Saturday, December 12, 2009 8:30 am -5:00pm
Where: NYU - Jack Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 556 LaGuardia Place, NYC
Cost: Free, registration required
Description: The goal of this Summit is to increase engagement and action around our food system’s role in climate problems and solutions. Summit is intended for everyone: family farmers, community gardeners, concerned citizens, activists, advocates, parents food experts, policy makers, environmentalists, nutritionists, educators, urban planners, urban designers, government, community, business and civic leaders, educators, elected officials, city government leaders. This event is expected to fill quickly, so be sure to register soon!
Recycle-A-Bicycle’s 15th Birthday Celebration
When: Monday, December 14, 2009 6:00 -9:00pm
Where: Superfine, 126 Front Street in DUMBO, Brooklyn
Cost: tickets range from $20 to $10,000
Description: Come celebrate Recycle-A-Bicycle’s 15th birthday! Celebration will include a benefit auction featuring the NY400 fleet of Batavus Dutch bicycles & bike-themed art. RAB is seeking donations of bike art of all kinds (bike-themed paintings, sculpture, furniture, appliances, jewelry, clothing, etc.) For more information contact Pasqualina Azzarello at 718-858-2972 or director@recycleabicycle.org.
Ongoing Events
Recycle-A-Bicycle's Volunteer Night
Every Wednesday is Volunteer Night at Recycle-A-Bicycle's Brooklyn Storefront. This year, spend Earth Day learning to refurbish recycled bicycles! (7:00-9:00pm; 35 Pearl Street, Dumbo, Brooklyn). For more information visit RAB online!
Your Old Clothes Need a New Life: Wearable Collections Clothing Drop Offs
When: West 97th St. on Fridays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.; Union Sq. on Saturdays & Mondays, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tompkins Sq. on Sundays, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Grand Army Plaza on Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: W. 97th St., b/t Columbus & Amsterdam Aves.; Union Sq., 15th St., at Union Sq. W.; Tompkins Sq., E. 7th St. & Ave. A.; Grand Army Plaza, Flatbush Ave., Park Slope.
Description: Wearable Collections has partnered with NYC greenmarkets, and is providing easy drop-off locations for your unwanted garments.
EcoBiz NYC Event Series
A new program of the Lower East Side Ecology Center, EcoBizNYC's mission is to help small businesses, students, and the general public to actively reduce air pollution, carbon emissions and airborne environmental health hazards in NYC through environmental auditing, education, and action. EcoBizNYC's initiatives will provide small businesses with resources on how to reduce their overall emissions, negative impacts on community health, and to increase their community support, while saving money and increasing their community involvement. For more information on the EcoBizNYC Program go to www.EcoBizNYC.org
Material Mondays: Clothing and Textile Recycling
Did you know that 5.7% of NYC's residential waste is textiles, yet they are 100% recyclable? Every Monday from 8am - 6pm at Union Square Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC) citizens are invited to recycle their unwanted textile materials including clothing, shoes, boots, hats, jackets, towels, bedding, and linens. For more information visit CENYC
Green Building Classes
Build it Green will be offering classes which qualify as Continuing Education Credits for your Certified Green Building Professional Certification. Email Build it Green NYC for upcoming classes and more information.
Monthly “GreenDrinks”
Every second Tuesday of the month New Yorkers from many different backgrounds, interested in environmental issues meet up for a drink at networking events known as Green Drinks. Its a chance to mix with other like-minded people, share information and make friends. Many people have found employment, developed new ideas, made business connections and had moments of serendipity. Its a force for the good and its spreading to over 450 cities around the world. The NYC Chapter began in 2002. Every month since the group has grown and expanded and every year our mailing list has doubled. Today Green Drinks NYC hosts events for 500+ environmentally-minded New Yorkers. Green Drinks NYC is a small women-owned business, formed as an LLC in January 2008. Visit the New York City Green Drinks website for more information.
CUNY Sustainability Coalition Meetings
The CUNY Sustainability Coalition is encouraging the sustainability efforts across all of the CUNY campuses. Participants of will network with other campus sustainability groups, learn about each others initiatives, and help develop a solid action plan for campus-specific projects. Go to www.greencuny.org for more information.
Compost Events
The NYC Compost Project, funded by the NYC Department of Sanitation, offers a variety of workshops on indoor and outdoor composting and also participates in various environmental events throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Go to www.nyccompost.org for more information.