Buffalo, N.Y., Hopes to Meet Goal of 34% Recycling Rate in 2018

The city of Buffalo, N.Y., is hoping to achieve its recycling rate goal of 34 percent in 2018 after failing to reach it in 2017. The city is hopeful that several new programs and incentives will be enough to encourage residents to participate.

Special programs in addition to curbside recycling include year-round yard waste drop-off, semiannual shredding events and hazardous waste drop-offs and a monthly event at a local café where volunteers will fix broken items so they don’t end up in landfills.

Spectrum News Buffalo has more information:

This year, Buffalo Public Schools can help increase recycling. Any school can apply to the Environmental Champions Program and must form a green team to create a program that reduces, reuses and recycles in the school.

"If they do that, each school will receive a $500 prize towards recycling totes, grassroots garden or something of that nature to help them promote their environmental programming in their school. Every time we have introduced a new program we do see a bump in the numbers," said Attridge.

Neighborhoods are even being looked at to see where there can be improvement. The city worked with Zerocycle to see which neighborhoods need improving and comparing them to neighborhoods that are average and above average. 

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