Lately it seems we're wearing sweaters one day and shorts the next, but one thing is certain: change is afoot. Changing colors in your apartment? Read on to learn about options for leftover paint. Transitioning your wardrobe? Give and get unwanted stuff online or at a Stop 'N' Swap�. Carving up pumpkins or culling your collection of electronic clutter? No need to pile it on at the landfill; simply read on for the recycling resource that's right for you.

What about...PAINT? 
 
If you've painted something in the past few years, chances are you still have leftover paint stored in your home. If stored properly, paint will keep for about two years and is great for touching up past projects, or using as a base layer on a bigger job. Before it's past prime, paint can be donated to great local reuse organizations like Build It Green!NYC, Film Biz Recycling and Materials for the Arts (contact first for details on what is accepted). If this post reminds you the pile of old paint cans in your basement, the NYC Department of Sanitation will take those at their spring drives for household hazardous waste (and much more), year-round special waste drop-off sites in each borough and through curbside paint disposal/can recycling. Planning a project? Check out these helpful tips to reduce paint waste.
Food Scrap Collection at Bowling Green
Broadway & Battery Pl, Manhattan
 
Seasonal Greenmarkets may be closing soon, but things are just heating up at Bowling Green! This year-round market will now feature a food scrap collection every Tuesday. Drop potato peels, coffee grounds and other food scraps at the Sustainability Center tent from 8am-2pm. Scraps will be composted by the Battery Conservancy to nourish crops at their Battery Urban Farm. Learn more.
Sign up for the NYC Residential Organics Program
 

In May of 2013, the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) began a bold, new initiative to provide curbside collection of organics such as yard waste, food scraps and compostable paper from homes with 1-9 units in certain pilot areas. DSNY is also recruiting large apartment buildings-on the west side of Manhattan, in parts of Brooklyn, and on Staten Island-to participate in the program. GrowNYC is assisting with this effort, and we can help your building with the signup process, and to prepare your tenants and staff to participate. Learn more in our latest blog post.



Apps Bring Swapping Into the 21st Century
 
Two new free apps, Bondsy and Yerdle, promote sharing through social networking on smartphones. Bondsy users grow their own network through friends and post items with "freeform prices" which can be anything from a hug to a cooked meal or actual dollars. Yerdle offers users a virtual marketplace, using a point system based on the simple idea that "the more you give, the more you get." Both apps are fun to use, and present a great opportunity to make swapping a part of everyday life. Check out Bondsy and Yerdle for downloads and more information.
Does Recycling Bias Affect Your Habits?
 
New research shows that people tend to judge the value of an item before deciding whether to place it in the trash or the recycling bin. Items like torn paper and crushed cans are more likely to end up in the trash, while whole paper and cans in good condition are properly recycled. Perhaps an understanding of the transformative process of recycling would help? Consider that 15% of the household garbage in NYC is paper that should have been recycled and remember-every scrap counts. Painting a frowny face on trash cans sounds like a great idea to help people think twice before tossing!
How to Compost Fall Leaves
 
With the exception of residents in the City's Organics Collection catchment areas, curbside fall leaf collection is currently suspended. Want to contribute your leaves to a good cause? Bagged leaves will be accepted at GrowNYC's Greenmarket food scrap collections. Check with other Neighborhood-Based Food Waste Drop-Off Sites to see if and when they will take leaves, learn how to use leaves as mulch or make your own compost.
Fall Electronics Recycling Events
from the LES Ecology Center
All events 10am-4pm unless otherwise noted
 
Responsibly recycle unwanted or broken electronics (no appliances such as microwaves or refrigerators) with the LES Ecology Center. Click here for a list of what's accepted.
Saturday, October 19 - Park Slope and Flatbush
Sunday, October 20 - Cobble Hill and Williamsburg
Saturday, October 26 - Upper West Side
Sunday, October 27 - Jackson Heights and Lower East Side
Halloween Costume Swap - Lower East Side
Friday, October 18, 1pm-4pm
Ottendorfer Library
135 2nd Ave, Manhattan
 
Bring clean, gently used costumes and costume-worthy clothing to share and find some that are new-to-you! All are welcome, but focus is on kids' costumes. Clothing, costumes, and accessories ONLY please. Hosted by GrowNYC and New York Public Library.
Clothing & Textile Recycling Collection - Chinatown
Sunday, October 20, 12pm-4pm
Confucius Plaza, 33 Bowery b/t Bayard and Canal
 
Bring clean and dry clothing, paired shoes, bedding, linens, handbags, belts, fabric scraps 36"x36" or larger and other textiles. No rugs or carpeting. Items will be sorted for reuse or recycling. Learn more.
Stop 'N' Swap� - The Bronx
Saturday, October 26, 12pm-3pm
Bronx Museum of the Arts
1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx
 
Bring clean, reusable, portable items such as clothing, housewares, games, books & toys that you no longer need, and take home something new-to-you, free! You don't have to bring something to take something. No furniture or large items, please. Learn more.
Clothing & Textile Recycling Collections - Staten Island
Saturday, October 26
8am-2pm, St George Greenmarket St Marks Ave & Hyatt St
and
8am-3pm, Staten Island Mall Greenmarket main entrance parking lot on Richmond Ave
 
Bring clean and dry clothing, paired shoes, bedding, linens, handbags, belts, fabric scraps 36"x36" or larger and other textiles. No rugs or carpeting. Items will be sorted for reuse or recycling. Learn more.
Shred-A-Thon - Upper East Side
Saturday, October 26, 10am-2pm
curbside at the 82nd St. Greenmarket b/t 1st & York
 
The hosts of this event urge you to "Bring it on!!" Confidential documents will be shred and recycled, free! Please remove paper clips and spiral bindings. For more information contact Upper Green Side.
Community Shred Day - Washington Heights
Saturday, October 26, 11am-3pm
530 West 166 St b/t St. Nicholas and Audubon Aves
 
Protect Your Identity by shredding your personal documents,free! Sponsored by Community Board 12 Manhattan & 33rd Precinct in collaboration with New York-Presbyterian & the Ambulatory Care Network. Shredding Provided by CINTAS.
Load OUT! A Reuse and Repurposing RIOT
Saturday, November 2, 12pm-3pm
11 East 3rd St, Manhattan
 
Join us at FABnyc's Load OUT!, an afternoon of repurposing and recycling that showcases creative thinking about sustainability and the arts. While FAB makes costumes, props, and furniture available to artists, GrowNYC and other partners will provide free recycling for clothing, textiles and electronics. Get more information on this great event here.
Compost your Apple Cores at Big Apple Crunch
Thursday, October 24, 12pm
Five Select Greenmarkets
Find a Crunch Here or Host your own Here
 
Celebrate Food Day by helping set a world record! Our goal is 1,000,000 crunches into an apple. New Yorkers can participate independently or in groups - sign up your school, your workplace, with friends or family. We want it to be the crunch heard 'round the world! Learn more. Set the record and compost your apple cores at the following Greenmarkets: 175th Street, Columbia University, Brooklyn Borough Hall, Boro Park, and Williamsburg
Find Us In Your Neighborhood!
OROE will have tables set up at the following events. Stop by and get answers to your recycling questions!

STATEN ISLAND: Saturday, October 19, 11am-3pm, Grandview Ave & Brabant St. - Community Health Action Community Awareness Event

STATEN ISLAND: Saturday, October 26, 10am-2pm, Camp Kaufmann - Staten Island Children's Day Parade
GrowNYC's OFFICE OF RECYCLING OUTREACH & EDUCATION (OROE) works to improve the City's recycling rate by educating residents about recycling and waste prevention, and working with landlords to make sure building recycling programs are adequate. Our free services include apartment building recycling audits, trainings for tenants and supers, community events centered on education and special collection programs for textiles, electronics, and compost. OROE's current intensive efforts target one-quarter of New York City's residents. Our five borough-wide coordinators work on a community-by-community basis to identify and address the specific challenges to recycling within a Community District. For more information visit www.grownyc.org or call 212-788-7964.
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