The Arts Society of Kingston (ASK) has a call for entries for its biennial sculpture show in the city. And this year, the theme is “Go Green & Keep the Hudson Clean.” According to its website, ASK is looking for entries that feature “natural, recycled or recyclable materials.” The deadline for entries is March 28.
Speaking of recycled items, the Times Herald-Record reports that the market for recycled trash has dwindled as a global slowdown impacts demand. Jeremiah Horrigan writes that “metals that recycling agencies were selling to brokers in July for $500 a ton are selling for $20 a ton today.”
Regarding total tonnage, the waste heading to our landfills is down about 15 percent year to date, according to the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency here in Kingston.
Short term, that’s a good thing. Less trash in the wastestream means less trash filling our landfills. But if the recycling materials market does not recover, these items may end up heading for the landfill.
But there are things consumers can do to reduce the total amount of trash they put curbside. Composting, for example, is a great way to lower your trash output. There are many types of composters that you can buy or build. In my household, we bought one three years ago and fill it every other day with compostable food stuff, clippings, and shredded newspaper. It has produced a wonderfully rich soil that we can add to plants or the veggie garden.
How to Compost.org is a great resource if you want to learn more.
– Arthur Zaczkiewicz