Westchester Action Plan, 2008 - Westchester County Government

Specific green purchasing recommendations of the Task Force are provided at the end of
this Attachment.
Building the Capacity (Get it Moving, Keep it Moving)
The actions described above will directly reduce Westchester County’s GHG emissions. To
make sure that these direct actions can be implemented, the Task Force has identified
actions that will remove barriers and support and encourage the achievement of these
reductions and promote sustainable development.
Join the Westchester County Solid Waste District
The Task Force recommends that all municipalities that do not currently belong to the solid
waste district become members. Membership allows municipalities to have access to free
recycling at the MRF and ensures waste that cannot be recycled is converted to energy
rather than placed in landfills, thus preserving land and reducing GHGs.
Evaluate Additional Infrastructure to Support Improved Waste
Performance
To improve performance, the Task Force recommends the evaluation of the establishment
and/or expansion of facilities and programs that will:
• Expand the county recycling programs to include more material such as more types of
plastics, scrap metal, compostable organic waste, batteries, grey cardboard, food-grade
wax coated cardboard, wood, electronics, cloth fibers and use of vegetable oil and/or
trap grease for municipal fleets.
• Expand the access to the MRF to include additional entities (colleges, school districts,
businesses, houses of worship, commercial buildings, etc.)
• Develop facilities to accept food waste, yard waste and leaves from across the county
that includes a curbside pick–up program.
• Establish a permanent facility or satellite locations for household material recovery,
which would accept materials generated in the home such as paints, cleaners,
flammables, lawn and garden chemicals, automotive fluids, CRTs, pool chemicals,
compact fluorescent bulbs, and other common toxic household products.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation x provides State assistance
for projects that enhance municipal recycling infrastructure through the purchasing of
equipment or construction of facilities. The funding can be used to construct materials
recycling or composting facilities, or to purchase recycling containers and new recycling
vehicles.
Attachment 9: Waste Reduction, Recycling and Green Procurement
Westchester Action Plan, 2008 9-6