TreeCycling results!

Neighbors Chip In: Treecycling in Philadelphia!

PHILADELPHIA, PA -On Saturday January 8th and Sunday January 9th over 1700 trees were chipped across the city and used at local dog parks, community gardens and parks. More than 20 local civic and nonprofit organizations worked together this month to recycle Christmas trees. For the second year in a row, the City of Philadelphia did not recycle Christmas trees during trash pickup: trees left at the curb went into landfills. But, volunteer groups across the city, with sponsorship by Bartlett Tree Experts and Schectman Tree Care, took it upon themselves to recycle trees.

Chestnut Hill / Mt. Airy - Volunteers from Mt. Airy Business Association and Green in Chestnut Hill chipped 175 trees.

Fairmount - Friends of Eastern State Penitentiary Park chipped 320 trees.

Logan Square - Logan Square Neighbors Association chipped 50 trees.

Northern Liberties -Northern Liberties Neighbors Association chipped 227 trees.

South Philadelphia - Volunteers from Passyunk Square Civic Association, East Passyunk Crossing Civic, Queen Village Neighbors, Newbold Neighbors, and Lower Moyamensing Civic joined forces to chip 450 trees

Fishtown / Olde Richmond - Sustainable 19125, Fishtown Neighbors Association, East Kensington Neighbors and New Kensington CDC, and the Olde Richmond Civic Association chipped over 200 trees.

University City - Volunteers from University City District and UC Green chipped 275 trees in Clark Park.

These events were sponsored by: Bartlett Tree Experts | East Kensington Neighborhood Association | East Passyunk Crossing | Fishtown Neighbors Association | Friends of Eastern State Penitentiary Greensgrow Farms | Green in Chestnut Hill | Logan Square Neighborhood Association |Lower Moyamensing Civic Association | Mt. Airy Business Association | New Kensington CDC | Newbold Neighbors Association | Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association | Olde Richmond Civic Association | Passyunk Square Civic Association | Queen Village Neighbors Association| Schectman Tree Care | Sustainable 19125 | The NKCDC Garden Center | UC Green| University City District

Recycle Now!

RECYCLENOW ACTIVIST TRAININGS

Help your neighborhood be clean and green! In partnership with RecycleBank, the company behind the Philadelphia Recycling Rewards program, RecycleNOW Philadelphia is now training community recycling activists to sign people up for the program so we can help more people recycle more material. You can help make a difference in your community by helping to sign-up your neighbors, co-workers, friends, family, church members, reading club, or anyone else! Attend a Community Activist Training in your neighborhood where recycling experts will answer commonly asked questions, and provide you all the information and materials you need to help sign up others.

A Green Conundrum at Christmas

I am a tree hugger and I have a real Christmas tree in my house. It didn’t occur to me that it might seem contradictory to some till my friend Peri called me out. She flipped when I told her we got a tree.

I thought she was offended because I am Jewish. Apparently it was my environmentalism that was in question. The truth is I never really thought about a fake tree versus a real one. My family had Christmas trees since I was a wee tot, and I love the pine smell and the warm and fuzzy feeling of Christmas — who doesn’t?

I explained that Christmas trees are raised on farms specifically for this purpose. When the holiday is over we will bring the tree to one of the city’s TreeCycling events. A number of neighborhood environmental groups all over the city are hosting TreeCycling events including GReenINChestnutHill (GRINCH).

Last year, residents of Mt Airy and Chestnut Hill brought over 150 trees, diverting them from landfills and turning them into mulch. An important goal of environmentalists is to reduce the amount of waste that goes into methane producing landfills. By taking your Christmas tree to a TreeCycling event in the city, the tree avoids the landfill and gas guzzling trash trucks.

GRINCH and the Mt Airy Business Assoc. are organizing this year’s TreeCycling event on Sunday Jan. 9th from 1-4pm at the corner of Mt Airy Ave and Chew Ave. For a $5 donation they will chip our tree (and your tree) which will be used for mulch. It’s like composting–win-win.

If I were a complete purist I would not get a tree at all. The truth is my very existence as a consuming human is not ideal for the health of the planet. So I am doing what I can, attempting to be thoughtful about my consumption, reduce my carbon footprint and consider future generations while enjoying the holidays. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!