For Release: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
DEC Launches Statewide "25 Days for 25 Years" Bottle Drive to Celebrate 25th Anniversary of the Bottle Bill
School-Based Campaign Will Focus on the Need to Recycle All Bottles
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today announced the kick-off of the "25 days for 25 years" school bottle drive to mark the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Bottle Bill. During the campaign, DEC will partner with nearly 20 host schools across the state to celebrate the remarkable success of the Bottle Bill and focus students on the importance of recycling in creating a cleaner environment.
"By every measure, the Bottle Bill has been an unprecedented success", said Commissioner Grannis. " The law has transformed the way New Yorkers approach litter prevention and recycling and has created a cleaner, healthier environment. During the '25 days for 25 years' campaign, students across New York will learn about the power of recycling and how we can all make the Bottle Bill even stronger."
"After 25 years, the Bottle Bill still has its fizz," said Laura Haight, Senior Environmental Associate with the New York Public Interest Research Group. "Each year, billions of bottles and cans are returned and recycled because of the 5-cent deposit. We are delighted that the DEC is celebrating the Bottle Bill's 25th anniversary by educating school children about how the Bottle Bill makes our communities cleaner and helps our environment.
Since the Bottle Bill was passed in 1982, roadside litter has been reduced by more than 70 percent and more than 90 billion deposit containers have been redeemed resulting in; 4,250,000 tons of glass recycled, 850,000 tons of plastics recycled, and more than 1 million tons of aluminum recycled.
Commissioner Grannis noted that recycling under the current Bottle Bill has dramatically reduced the manufacturing of plastic and glass, saving 52 million barrels of oil and reducing carbon emissions by the equivalent of keeping more than 600,000 cars off the road each year. He also noted that expanding the Bottle Bill to include non-carbonated beverage bottles could increase the number of refundable bottles in New York State by more than 2 billion annually.
Albany School District Superintendent, Dr. Eva Joseph said, "Since none of our students were born 25 years ago when the original 'bottle bill' was enacted, most of them take returning returnable containers for granted. The '25 days for 25 years' bottle drive is a great way to teach students how important the bottle bill has been in reducing litter and energy consumption and the need for landfill space."
Students from schools from across the state participating in DEC's "25 days for 25 years" Bottle Bill anniversary commemoration will learn about the many benefits of recycling. During the campaign, students will track their recycling progress, placing special emphasis on recycling water bottles and other non-carbonated bottles that are not covered under the current Bottle Bill.
They will also learn about how their efforts can impact global warming, the foremost environmental challenge facing our state and our planet.
Each class participating in "25 days for 25 years" campaign will receive a package of materials prepared by DEC. Included will be a colorful class poster, educational materials about recycling, and a recycling activity booklet for each student. As a special thank you, each participating school will receive a book on recycling and a one-year subscription to the Conservationist, New York's outdoor magazine, for their library.
The campaign will culminate on June 15, 2007, with a statewide celebration of the 25 th anniversary of the Bottle Bill's signing.
For schools looking for information on how to increase awareness of the benefits of recycling in your community, contact DEC's Bureau of Solid Waste, Reduction and Recycling at 518-402-8705.
"25 days for 25 years" host schools:
Berea Elementary School - 946 Route 17K, Montgomery, NY 12549
Miller Middle School - 65 Ford Place Road, Lake Katrine, NY 12449
Ulster BOCES, Pine Bush Senior High School - 118 State Route 302, Pine Bush, NY 12566
Woodstock Day School - 1430 Glasco Turnpike, Saugerties, NY 12477
Sherman Elementary School - 50 Authors Avenue, Henrietta, NY 14467
Clarence Middle School - 10150 Greiner Road, Clarence, NY 14031
Windom Elementary School - 3870 Sheldon Road, Orchard Park, NY 14127
Center Moriches Middle School - 311 Frowein Road, Center Moriches, NY 11934
Brooklyn Elementary School, PS 345 - Berriman Street, Brooklyn NY 11208
Little Red Schoolhouse/Elisabeth Irwin High School - 40 Charlton Street, New York, NY 10014
The Michael Petrides School - 715 Ocean Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301
Giffen Memorial Elementary School - 274 South Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12202
Sherburne Earlville Elementary School - 15 School Street, Sherburne, NY 13460
Colden Elementary School - 8263 Boston Colden Road, Colden, NY 14033
Middle Hope Elementary School - 62 Overlook Drive, Newburgh, NY 12550
Forest Elementary School - North Forest Road, Williamsville, NY 14221
Brown School - 150 Corlaer Avenue, Schenectady, NY 12304
Van Duyn Elementary School - 401 Loomis Ave., Syracuse, NY 13207
Students from the Giffen Memorial Elementary School in Albany encourage all New Yorkers to recycle bottles
