New York Recycles Poster Contest Theme Background & Ideas!

There are suggestions for posters listed, but students are free to use their imagination, as long as the basic theme is addressed.

If it helps, we have past year's winning posters on our website.

THEME: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle At School

The 3 R's are a good start for reducing the amount of garbage we make. For basic information on reduction, reuse and recycling, check out our website.

Suggestions for posters - Posters can show what students do to reduce and reuse at school. They can also show what materials are recycled at school.

THEME: Composting... Send Your Leaves and Food Waste to a MULCH Better Place!

Compost is a dark, crumbly, earthy-smelling mixture that consists mostly of decayed organic matter. It is a simple, natural process - nature's way of recycling nutrients and returning them to the soil to be used again. By taking advantage of this natural recycling process, you can help lighten the load of waste that would otherwise go to a landfill. Compost is used for fertilizing and conditioning soil. It can be made from materials that most households throw out.

Yard wastes - - fallen leaves, grass clippings and the remains of garden plants (except diseased plants).
Kitchen scraps - - banana peels, apple cores, vegetable scraps.

(Shouldn't compost - meat, fish, bones and fatty foods - such as cheese, salad dressing and leftover cooking oil).

Check out our website for composting information.

Suggestions for posters - Show what materials can be composted and /or what you can do with compost.

THEME: Let's Pick It Up New York!

Litter is unsightly, unsanitary, unappealing, can be hazardous and degrades the quality of our lives by degrading our environment.

A banana peel takes months to decompose
A cigarette butt takes 2 - 5 years
A tin can takes 100 years
An aluminum can takes takes 200 - 500 years
A tire, glass bottle or a plastic milk bottle can take over 1000 years

Check out our website for waste reduction, reuse and recycling information.

Suggestions for posters - Show different types of litter and what can happen with it.
Show what we should do with litter (recycle what we can, throw the rest in the trash.)

THEME: Returnable Bottles & Cans Make Cents!

The Returnable Container Act (RCA), the Deposit Law, the Bottle Bill are all names for the same thing! The purpose of New York's RCA is to reduce litter, ease the burden on solid waste facilities and encourage recycling activities. It was implemented on July 1, 1983. The RCA requires at least a 5 cent deposit on carbonated soft drinks, beer and other malt beverages, mineral water, soda water, and wine cooler containers that hold one gallon or less.

For more information on the Bottle Bill check out our website.

Suggestions for posters - Show what types of containers are deposit containers. In contrast, show what types of containers are not deposit.

THEME: New York Recycles!

It is our way of promoting recycling and buying recycled in New York State. Various educational waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and buy recycled events will take place all year and this will lead to a celebration of New York Recycles! on November 15.

New York Recycles! is part of a national event - America Recycles. In 2006 there were thousands of events in 45 states and three U.S. territories and over 30,000 New Yorkers signed a petition card and promised to recycle more and buy recycled products!

Sponsor an event... it's easy and you can contact us at (518) 402-8705 for more information!! We will provide you with materials!!!

Check out our website for more information on New York Recycles!

Suggestions for poster - Show what New York does for recycling.

THEME: Don't Trash Our Air! Recycling is Better!

Did you know every time garbage is burned in an uncontrolled fire, it creates air pollution and the left over ash contains toxic residue! Past generations burned their garbage, but that practice should be a thing of the past. Garbage back then didn't contain plastics, foils, batteries, paper )which is bleached with chlorine) and other materials. Even burning paper today can release dioxins into the air. Burning household trash, whether in an open pit, burn barrel or a wood stove is unhealthy, unneighborly and unnecessary. It is time to let the burn barrels become obsolete!

Check out our website for information to keep the air clean.

Suggestions for posters: Show what happens when materials are burned, or what we can do with materials instead of open burning them.