ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
A suburban eco-tale
> BY TORI KATZ
Copyright © 2002 by The Earth Times. All rights reserved

Recycling is the law in Westchester county, "so get on board or get fined," said Pete Bonhag, Superintendent of Highways, Buildings and Grounds for Eastchester. While 52 percent of waste is recycled in Eastchester--compared to only 25 percent throughout all of Westchester--Bonhag said that trying to get residents to recycle remains a challenge.

Bonhag laughed when he heard the "Eastchester rumor"- originally a warning about a force separation law that spread like wildfire. "That's not the case," he said. "But maybe a little rumor won't hurt if it gets people to recycle."

Just a few exits down the Bronx River Parkway, Tim Brown, an 11 year veteran of the Town of Greenburgh Waste Management Program, knows exactly where to look for the bright green bin when he goes on his way.

Tim Brown rounds the corner of Joyce Road every Wednesday at 8 AM just as Ronnie Danzinger of Melissa Drive begins to sift through a week's worth of The New York Times and The Journal News, Westchester's hometown paper.

By the time Brown, a "recycling facilitator," makes his way to Melissa Drive, Danzinger has managed to part with about half of her papers, bringing the others back to the kitchen for another read--Slim Fast coupons get another glance, but fail to make the cut. Deciding which papers to put into the recycling bin proves to be one of Danzinger's most time-consuming weekly tasks. Green plastic boxes marked "Property of the Town of Greenburgh" sit at the edge of almost every driveway on Melissa Drive. Week after week, Brown can count on that. However, only a few meters away, on Westway, the number of recycling boxes is noticeably smaller. "It's weird," Brown said. "On some streets I pick up a lot. On other streets hardly anyone recycles. It all depends."

What does it depend on? That remains a mystery. In Westchester, recycling remains a challenge to the local officials who are endlessly trying to improve and expand recycling programs. Danzinger has the future of her children in mind. "I think being a parent makes a difference. I want to feel safe that my kids will have a healthy future and live in a clean world." The children's endorsement is unambiguous--"Sara" and "Drew" magnets even hold the recycling schedule in place on the refrigerator door. Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner is aware that recycling is not the sexiest of topics. While he is involved in numerous campaigns to encourage the practice, it took little time before a conversation on local recycling issues turned to another, more pressing item on Feiner's agenda: the Indian Point crisis. Fearing another Chernobyl, Feiner is eager to talk about his leading role in an effort to close down this "unnecessary" power plant.

In the midst of Indian Point talk, Feiner pauses to bring up the fact that 10,000 envelopes have taken over his office. "We will be placing on all town envelopes reminders for people to recycle their envelopes." Let's just hope these 10,000 envelopes don't end up in the trash.

Danzinger, a model recycler, doesn't need reminders. Hands down, the world would be a cleaner place if we all followed her lead. "Whenever I go to the movies with my children, I collect all of their garbage (which is usually on the floor) and I either bring it to the recycling bin at the theater or I take it home with me to recycle." This may sound extreme to some, but for Danzinger it's the only way to behave. "I just assume that I'm the norm," she said.

If only she were. According to Feiner, only 25 percent of people in Westchester recycle. James Hogan, Recycling Director at the Department of Environmental Facilities of Westchester, gave a significantly higher figure--46 percent. While the percentages may differ, both men agree that the figures need to be higher. Hogan's office recently spent $50,000 to put together an educational recycling newsletter which was sent to 350,000 households throughout Westchester county. "It was a great expense, but when we saw a dip in recycling last year we needed to react." Hogan believes that more people will recycle if they are continually reminded of how simple it is.

"We are just bombarded with responsibilities," said Hogan when asked what keeps people from recycling. "There's really only so much that we can observe on a day-to-day basis.

That's where the challenge comes in. Our job is to communicate with the fringe group and show them that recycling is simple--it just requires a little bit more segregation and a little bit more attention from day to day."

Danzinger would argue that it requires a lot more attention. Pointing to a multi-colored recycling schedule with arrows, boxes, crosses and circles, Danzinger admits that following the rules of recycling takes more energy than the actual sorting process. She thinks that the schedule, alone, keeps some people from recycling. While sifting through the "comingled" box Danzinger stops and contemplates a waxed milk carton. "Is it paper, is it non-recyclable -what is it?" she asks. "Can you let me know about this one?"

Danzinger kicks two boxes and lifts an over-sized straw basket full of old newspapers, catalogs and inserts. All items must be at the edge of the driveway for Tim Brown by 9 am, otherwise, back to the garage they go until next week.

"Recycling queen" Marcia Bender--the title was given to her by her husband and two sons--says she "thoroughly enjoys recycling." Bender makes recycling easy and believes that it can be easy for you too. She suggests keeping the recycling bin in the house, close to where most garbage accumulates. Not only is it the "socially responsible thing to do," she says, but a way to save money.

At around 4 PM, school kids gather at the Garth Road Park baseball field in Scarsdale for a quick pre-dinner game, rain or shine. The grass on the field is cut, the dirt is swept and the dug outs are painted to white perfection. Thanks to money saved through local recycling efforts, today the decades old park looks as good as new.

The Francis X. O'Rourke Park, Chester Heights Park and Leewood Park, all in Westchester county, are going through similar renovations thanks, in part, to recycling efforts and a grant from New York State Senator Nicholas Spano. Pete Bonhag hopes that many more community beautification projects will soon follow.

He also hopes for the day when it won't take a nasty rumor to encourage people to do a little good for the environment.