Town of Hempstead Receives Top Recycling Rating
Hempstead Is Greenest Town In Nassau: Receives
Top Recycling Rating
Municipalities everywhere are "green with envy" over Hempstead Towns
top recycling ranking in Nassau by an environmental advocacy group. In
a report released by the Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE)
that graded fourteen municipalities on Long Island, Hempstead Town
came in first place in Nassau County.
"Hempstead is America's largest township and now we are rapidly
becoming its greenest township, too," announced Hempstead Supervisor
Kate Murray. "We've had a great environmental record and new recycling
initiatives that we've undertaken are making our town the ecological
leader among local governments."
The Citizens Campaign for the Environment recognized many Town
recycling accomplishments including the "first-on-Long-Island" school
based recycling partnership. Another environmental victory for the
Town has been its e-cycling effort, which has recycled 373 tons of
computers and other household electronics over a 2 year period. CCEs
report also commended the Town for recycling one of the energy
resources at the fingertips of residents, CFL (compact florescent)
light bulbs. While these energy efficient lamps reduce energy
consumption, they also contain highly toxic mercury, which can pollute
our planet if not recycled/disposed of properly.
Hempstead's public education initiatives were recognized and they are
largely responsible for the town achieving the highest residential
curbside recycling participation rate of any town in the nation (79%
participation rate).
"Its truly amazing the reception that Hempstead residents have given
our e-cycling program," said Supervisor Murray. "We have already
e-cycled more than 373 tons of items, keeping pollutants such as
mercury, lead, and arsenic out of the waste systems. The benefits of
the e-cycling program are easy to see: residents can properly dispose
of old electronic equipment such as unwanted computers, computer
peripherals, TVs, and even that now outdated iPod!"
"While the Town is gratified for the high praise, it is also important
to remember that we got such a great report from the Citizens Campaign
for the Environment by being cutting edge innovators of environmental
sustainability, and that is something that will continue for years to
come," Supervisor Murray concluded.
