This policy brief shares information about Ecovillages, provides examples of 4 other Rust Belt cities with Ecovillages (Cleveland OH, Highland Park MI, Ithaca NY, and Gibsonia PA.) and describes the potential for Buffalo to develop one (or more). Ecovillages can address many inequalities in varying ways by greening vacant lots; returning ownership of vacant lots to the community; building green and sustainable communities; promoting economic development; increasing quality of life; and …
The Buffalo Recycling Alliance compiled a list of foundational aspects and resources to start a school recycling program.
In 2010, the United States added 68 million tons of food and yard waste to landfills, accounting for roughly 34% of all municipal solid waste. Lowering the amount of this waste in a city’s garbage saves the taxpayers money and protects the environment. Composting is an easy and inexpensive solution. Instead of throwing out food and yard waste, homeowners, not-for-profits, businesses and local government can reuse it to create compost, a useful product that can be …
Alphabetized special product listing and where you can recycling it in Buffalo-Niagara.
The City has to pay to dispose of its garbage, but it gets paid a rebate for its recyclables. For this reason, the City saves about $150,000 for every 3,500 tons of waste recycled, and every one percent increase in the recycling rate saves the City between $70,000 and $100,000. That means that every time you recycle something instead of throwing it away, you’re helping to keep taxes and fees lower.
The city of Buffalo recycles approximately eight percent of its curbside waste per year. This is far below the national average of 27% and pales by comparison with cities such as San Francisco, which recycles at a rate of 72%. Within Western New York, there is also great disparity in regard to recycling. The Town of Tonawanda, to give one example, currently recycles 13.5% of its curbside waste.
In accordance with state law, the City of Buffalo requires all businesses to recycle paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, and some metal. Violations are punishable by a fine between $25 and $250, and/or imprisonment for 15 days or community service. Many local businesses may not be aware of this law, and they may not be recycling at all, or they may be recycling only some of their recyclable materials. It’s time to spread the word about recycling, not just because …
Since 1996, in accordance with state law, the City of Buffalo has required all multi-family residences to recycle paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, and metal. Each complex must provide and maintain a recycling collection area, and occupants must then put their recyclables in the appropriate receptacles Violations are punishable by a fine between $25 and $250, and/or imprisonment for 15 days or community service. Many property owners and managers may not be aware of this law, and …
Plastic shopping bags were introduced to the consumer market about 25 years ago. Since then, they’ve become-literally-a ubiquitous part of the American landscape. Every year, between 500 billion and one trillion disposable plastic shopping bags are consumed worldwide. In the United States, 100 billion plastic bags are used each year, costing retailers $4 billion, which is passed on to the consumer in the price of goods.
Building deconstruction is not a novel idea but represents an ancient practice reinvented for our modern era. Deconstruction is an environmentally friendly (yet fiscally remunerative) alternative to traditional building demolition. Deconstruction is: [t]he process of carefully dismantling a building in order to salvage components for reuse and recycling. Typically, a small team of skilled and licensed professionals disassemble the structure, setting aside the valuable …
The opportunities and benefits of recycling are under used in the City of Buffalo. The city currently achieves a meager 7% diversion rate. The rest of Erie County achieves a 42% diversion rate. Clearly, a great deal of recyclable content is included in city household garbage. Buffalo pays about $42 per ton of garbage it “tips” and it receives about $10 per ton of recyclable content it redeems. Every ton of waste that households can divert from garbage …
Buffalo’s Comprehensive Plan currently calls for the demolition of 10,000 buildings over a period of ten years. While demolition contractors may recycle a small percentage of the waste created from demolitions, the process generates a great deal of waste that ends up in landfills. Many of the materials that are thrown away after a building is demolished are either reusable or recyclable. In order to lessen the negative environmental impact of building demolition, Buffalo …
The problem of vacancy and abandonment manifests itself in many different ways. Whether it is crime, decreasing property values, loss of tax revenue, neighborhood eyesores, or removing the condemned structures, the City of Buffalo is facing a monumental challenge both in resources and policy. The deconstruction of abandoned homes offers opportunities for cost savings, environmental benefits, and economic development. An alternative to demolition, deconstruction is the …