As much as some neighborhoods and residents recycle within the City of Buffalo, sadly, there are just as many, if not more, who don’t. Currently the City of Buffalo only recycles about 6.5% of solid waste, a rate well below the national average of 27%. I encourage every one to start recycling if you haven’t already. If you already recycle then I encourage you to increase how much goes into your recycling bin each week. It is never too late to start a good recycling plan for your household.
You can prepare your weekly recycling products by placing paper products loose on the bottom of the recycling bin, or bundle them together in paper bags. Avoid using any string or plastic bags. Remove paper clips, rubber bands and clasps. In our house, we use our recycle bin to put all of our plastic and glass and we reuse a paper bag to bundle the paper products together. On garbage day we put the bundled paper on top to help keep the plastics in place versus watching them be blown down the street.
Please visit the City of Buffalo’s website recycling page for a complete listing of what can and cannot be recycled.
If you do not currently recycle or only recycle minimally, you might want to consider the following facts:
– Increasing our recycling rate by a mere 1% will bring an additional $72,000 into the Buffalo City coffers.
– Recycling creates jobs. For every one job created at landfills to handle our trash, recycling creates six.
– Paper products make up nearly 40% of the waste stream yet are the easiest to recycle.
If you live in the City of Buffalo and you need another recycling bin, you can pick up a free bin at the following locations. Please call the location closest to you to check for hours.
City Hall; Niagara Square, Room 218; 851-4890
A.B.L.E.Y. Center; 24 Ludington Street; 895-4074
C.P.C. International Marketplace; 283 Grant Street; 884-7812
C.P.C. Gloria Parks; 3242 Main Street; 851-4112
Community Action Info Center; 103 Wohlers Street; 885-5925
F.L.A.R.E.; 307 Leroy Avenue; 838-6740
Hispanics United of Buffalo; 254 Virginia Street; 856-7110
HomeFront; 560 Delaware Avenue; 856-2952
Ken-Bailey Neighborhood Housing Service; 995 Kensington Avenue; 836-3600
Matt Urban Center; 1081 Broadway; 893-7222
N.H.S. of South Buffalo; 1937 South Park Avenue; 823-3630
Northwest Buffalo Community Center; 155 Lawn Avenue; 876-8108
Parkside Community Association; 2318 Main Street; 851-4324