Sustainability Newsletter
From the classes of Ms. Cyphers and Mr. Magliano
(After reading please share with a friend)
Help the Green Dreamers Spread Plastic Free Awareness at PS10
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle~ The Three Keys to Sustainability
And a special thanks to the revisers and editors Indiana Fischer, David Fienstein, and Avi Cozine
Dear Parents Staff and Students
Here's how you can help. Get informed and spread the word.
Some Green Dreamers went to SIMS to find out where our recycling goes. SIMS handles all the
RECYCLABLES from the 5 boroughs! They told us: The most important thing to remember is
that recycling HAS to be put in the correct bin or it goes to the landfill. Yep, all those mixed bags
of recycling go to the landfill. Please spread the word about this. SIMS collects up properly
recycled materials and mashes it together into these huge, cube sized bales. They separate and
bale plastics, aluminium, and steel. They sell these cubes to manufacturers who melt them into
new materials to be reused. For example, they sell plastic cubes to companies who make them
into plastic pellets that can be re-molded into new bottles. Even though there are a lot of recyclables
there are also a lot of things people WISHED would be recyclable that are put in the recycling
bin. This is called wish-cycling. An example could be a broken umbrella. The reason these are
not recyclable is because they are made from more than one type of material, but if you dis-
assemble the umbrella then it is recyclable, but…. “don’t expect Sims to do it!”
Here are some hard plastic items that can be recycled: some food containers, plastic bottles,
plastic bins, drawers, toys, etc. These items are recyclable, BUT only if they go in the recycling
bin. The conveyor belt at SIMS will separate the numbered recyclable plastic items!
Plastic bags can be recycled, but only if they are clean, but not at Sims. Find a store near you
that will recycle them. Dirty plastic bags and tablecloths are a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE problem.
They cannot be recycled and often just have one use. The recyclers do NOT WANT THEM!
The really shocking news is that ONLY 9% of all plastic ever manufactured has actually been
recycled. That means that less than ten percent of all plastic made in the last century has actually
gotten recycled And only 18% of recyclables collected in NYC get recycled because
New Yorkers are MIXING their recyclables and putting them in the wrong bins. This is horrible
because this means that things that could actually get recycled are instead piling up in landfills
all over the east coast. The rest goes to landfills where it produces methane which is a very
strong greenhouse gas, adding to CLIMATE CHANGE. Landfills also leach toxins into
water sources which is bad because who wants to drink dirty water? It’s disgusting and might
get you sick. What if the landfills that have been taking our garbage decided they didn't want to
take it anymore? Hmm...
Some people have been wondering if juice boxes can be recycled. The answer is yes, but the
straws cannot. Those snacks in squeeze pouches are fun, but unfortunately they are ALL
landfill bound. Some containers can be recycled, but not all. It’s important to learn the
difference. Read the labels carefully, check their websites, and give them a call if you
really care. Most recyclable containers do NOT need to have their labels taken off, but if
it peels off easily, it’s better.
Containers should be rinsed if possible. Items filled with food can slow down the machines
because the food can clog up the machinery. Leave the lids on any recyclable plastic bottle.
Take the metal lids off of jars.
ALUMINUM foil and cans should be recycled DIRTY or NOT. Recyclers get a lot of money
for recycled aluminum and metal.$$
Rip off the dirty part of your PIZZA boxes and put this in your compost bins. Recycle the rest
of the box in your paper recycling. A little bit of oil doesn’t matter.
If you need more RECYCLING BINS in your classroom please send me an email. Designate
which ones you need. In the meantime, you can use boxes with labels. We ordered a ton of
labels. Ask your Recycling Rangers or Green Dreamers if you need one. Call the
Recycling Rangers for all your recycling questions! (Ms. Bouillon and Ms. Carroll)
Remind the AFTER SCHOOL teachers who use your room to recycle.We are trying to get
several of the three section waste/recycling bins: one for the school entrance, and one for
afterschool. Children get confused with inconsistencies. So do adults!
We are ordering rollers for the 3 section RECYCLING BIN ON THE FOURTH FLOOR
so it's easier for Shawn to collect recyclables. In the meantime the bin is back at the end of
the hallway! Please do not contaminate the bin with NONrecyclables. Mixing the landfill
waste with the recyclables means the bag goes to the LANDFILL. The city is not hand
sorting garbage. Every day NYC collects enough garbage to fill the Empire State Building.
If you want to know the reason why The GREEN DREAMERS are taking on the plastic
waste issue check out the doc-series Broken on Netflix. Today the Green Dreamers hosted
the director of the documentary in the auditorium, Steve Rivo! We watched the episode on
Plastic Waste (especially single use plastic) and were able to have our questions answered
by Steve. It's one hour and it's worth it! It showed us how plastic is affecting the world. For
example, in Malaysia plastic is piling up and it is affecting local communities. They are MAD!
China, who used to PAY us for our plastic bags has said, “NO MORE!” HERE”S SOME
EXCITING NEWS. Starting March 1, 2020 NY’s plastic bag ban is coming! (see below)
We will be hosting a showing of the new documentary Microplastic Madness
for the 3rd- 5th graders. All that plastic we've all been using has infiltrated not only our oceans,
but also our land AND our air! We would love for teachers, staff, and the PTA to see this doc!
It is truly marvelous and uplifting. It features students from Redhook and some very aware, and
caring teachers and parents. You won't want to miss it!
WATER! I know some do not feel safe drinking from the fountains. Hopefully there will be no
need to buy water, or bring it, because we've applied for a grant for a water filling station. Keep
your fingers crossed!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Cool PS 10 Sustainable News!
Class 5-401 is researching landfills, by creating mini-landfills. They have also done studies on
the Cradle to Grave aspect of many of the items we use everyday. This reflects the Green
Dreamer Motto
THINK ABOUT EVERY SINGLE THING YOU DO AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE EARTH.
Marker recycling~ Send ALL used markers to Ms. Amy for recycling! (any kind) She sends
them off regularly to CRAYOLA! Thanks Ms. Amy!
Every day the monitoring of lunchroom recycling and composting goes on and we’re seeing
improvements. Yes! We will share our data soon.
Thank you to all the students who made bookmarks to raise money for the earthquake victims
in Puerto Rico and the victims of the horrendous fires in Australia. Earthquakes and fires also
destroy habitats and make it harder for animals to find food. In Australia alone, more than a
billion animals perished. And thank you to the student council and Ms. Scott for organizing
this sale. I see Ms. Cheryl every morning with the students volunteering their time. Thank
you for supporting this cause.
The Green Dreamers started sharing Green Songs on Thursday afternoons over the loudspeaker.
If you know a child who wrote a song about sustainability let us know!
Soon teachers will be able to measure their energy use with a very handy device called a
Kill A Watt, an electricity usage monitor. I’ve ordered one for the school!
Read Eco-fiction. It helps students become more aware of why the Green Dreamers and the
Recycling Rangers care so much.
The Green Dreamers are creating "Green Surveys" in order to find out if the stores
and restaurants we purchase from have embraced the "Going Green" philosophy.
We will then share the results with our community. First we will give the stores a
few weeks to get prepared for our interviews. Our goal is not to "catch them up".
Instead, it is to make them aware that we know that real change only happens if
everyone is part of the solution.
Coming soon! Mr. Magliano and I are setting up a website to post our SUSTAINABILITY
actions. If you take a picture of your Green Dreamer doing a lesson please share it with us
and we will post on the site! We will be heading to Coney Island again to interview visitors
about sustainability, especially the plastic situation and how it affects marine life and climate
change. Our No More Plastic fashion show is in the works. Fashion week is coming and so
are the Green Dreamers!
Here are some links to more information about sustainability:
NY's plastic bag ban is coming: Here's what to know about the stores,
the charges and the changes
THE Recycling Con
A recycling test
Pictures to help you with sustainability/recycling
What is in your landfill?
In the average landfill this is the percentage of all the waste in it.
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