Have patience on recycling

To the Editor:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Valley Stream residents for their patience and good will as the village transitions to a better, more efficient and cost saving recycling procedure.

As we have indicated in recent months, the worldwide markets for recycling, and indeed sanitation in general, have changed dramatically. Locally, the options going forward in Valley Stream have become more limited, with expenses threatening to loom if we were to continue along the path of single-stream recycling, which is the process of combining our glass, plastic and paper recyclables together. The main reason for this is the problem of cross-contamination. For example, if glass were to break and infiltrate paper and cardboard, the entire collection could be rendered un-usable to our vendors, leaving it to be disposed of in the regular garbage stream. Our tonnage costs would be forced up, and items meant to be recycled would simply be thrown out. This is contrary to everything our society has embraced and everything we have been working toward, which is a cleaner environment and reduced costs. 

In Valley Stream, we made an honest commitment to stay ahead of the problem. Back in 1989, Valley Stream distinguished itself as one of the first Incorporated Villages  in New York state to begin recycling. We believe it is important and necessary to maintain Valley Stream’s place as a leader meeting the environmental challenges of responsible waste disposal.

Change is never easy, and we realize that. The first few weeks of the transition have not been without challenges, for our residents and our sanitation workers. Going forward, we remain committed to answering the needs of each and every person who needs help sorting out the details of extra bins and receptacles, keeping track of the new rotational schedule, and figuring out how best to adjust to holding onto recyclables on an alternating weekly basis. We are here to help.

In December, our sanitation staff hosted the first informational recycling forum at Village Hall. There will be additional  sessions in the coming weeks. Printed information was sent out in December in the quarterly Village Green newsletter, which is mailed to every home. The same detailed information is posted on the village website at www.vsvny.org, and is also available on the village Facebook page. Additional copies of the newsletter are available, always for free, at the Village Hall.

On behalf of our entire village board, I appreciate the efforts of so many to keep Valley Stream in the forefront of the recycling challenge, and remain available to assist in any way possible.

Mayor Ed Fare