Veolia Helps New York City Mobilize One of The World's Largest Harmful Household Products Recycling Programs
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Already one of the world’s largest events of its kind, the NYC SAFE (Solvents, Automotive, Flammables and Electronics) Disposal events, administered by the New York City Department of Sanitation, will now double in size to ten events per year. This year’s events kick off on Saturday, April 11, at Midland Beach Park in Staten Island.
New York City Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia encourages residents to drop off potentially harmful household products for proper recycling and disposal. “NYC residents should bring items such as pesticides, strong cleaners, mercury thermostats, paint, motor oil, electronics and medications to this year’s SAFE Disposal events,” said Garcia. “This year, with more events in more neighborhoods, we’re hoping to expand the opportunity for New Yorkers to safely and conveniently dispose of harmful materials.”
2015 marks the fourth year Veolia is providing waste services for the New York City Department of Sanitation’s (DSNY) NYC SAFE Disposal events. Harmful household products collected in each of New York City’s boroughs will be recycled or sent to one of Veolia’s fully permitted hazardous waste treatment facilities.
As part of its mission to ‘Resource the World,’ Veolia aims to develop access to resources, preserve available resources and replenish those resources through its service offerings. The majority of materials collected during the NYC SAFE Disposal events will be recycled, recovered, or reclaimed. To the fullest extent possible, liquid wastes such as paint will be blended for fuel and energy recovery. Small amounts that cannot be recovered will be incinerated under strict environmental regulations.
“We’ve been assisting DSNY with their NYC SAFE Disposal events since 2012, having collected over 1,279,000 pounds of materials since that time, and we are honored to bring our expertise to the service of New York City again in an effort to intercept harmful substances from landfills,” said Steve Hopper, president and chief operating officer of Veolia North America’s Industrial Business. “With the increased number of events, we’re hoping to aid even more New Yorkers to make a positive contribution to their local community through proper environmental protection practices and to educate other communities based on the success of this program.”
Veolia has helped over 2,500 communities across the United States organize, promote and implement convenient harmful household products collection programs to ensure these wastes are managed safely and in the most environmentally responsible manner. Every other month, Veolia removes an estimated 20,000 pounds of harmful household products from DSNY’s Household Special Waste Drop-Off sites around New York City. By employing innovative recycling and reclamation processes, Veolia turns these wastes into reusable byproducts, aiding the sustainability of the earth’s resources.
The first five collection events will take place on the dates below. As more events are scheduled, they will be posted at www.nyc.gov/safedisposal. All events are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Saturday, April 11: Staten Island, Midland Beach Parking Lot
- Sunday, April 19: Brooklyn, MCU Park, Surf Ave Parking Lot
- Saturday, May 2: Bronx, Orchard Beach Parking Lot
- Saturday, June 20: Queens, Cunningham Park, Ball Field Parking lot
- Sunday, June 28: Manhattan, Columbia University/Teachers College, 120th St between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave.
In addition to working with the City of New York, Veolia has provided services for municipalities across the country including Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Milwaukee. In 2014 the company collected over 9,000 tons of harmful household products overall.
*For more information on the NYC SAFE Disposal events, visit www.nyc.gov/safedisposal.