New NYC Recycling Law Allows GFDD New York Office to Go Even Greener!

The New York office of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) is delighted to announce that since August 1, 2016 a new NYC recycling law has gone into effect requiring all commercial building in the city to recycle the following materials disposed of by its tenants, including: Paper, cardboard, metal, glass, plastic and beverage cartons.

The new recycling law is a part of the New York City Mayor’s ambitious initiative to reduce commercial waste by 90% by 2030.

For the GFDD NY Office at 780 Third Avenue, this means that, following several years of campaigning by the foundation, the waste management company which is contracted with the building will now be obliged by the city to cooperate with the 3Rs of solid waste
management: “reduce, reuse, recycle”, which the foundation’s ReCrearte program has so vehemently promoted since its inception in 2012!

GFDD is a strong supporter of the new law and the city’s program, as it will assist the foundation in its commitment to offset the carbon footprint of its office in New York City and help to promote sustainable development
generally.

Why is recycling waste so important?
The United States produces 33% of the world”s solid waste, with 4.6% of the global population. This equates to 80% of US products being used once and then thrown away. Within New York City, residents currently recycle only about 17% of their total waste–half of what they could be recycling under the new program.

The benefits of the New York City”s Zero Waste program continues the City”s commitment to reducing the impact of the waste management system on historically overburdened poor and minority neighborhoods in the South Bronx, North Brooklyn, and Jamaica, among others. By reducing the amount of waste transferred at transfer stations in those neighborhoods and developing a geographically dispersed network of
waste reduction, composting, reuse, and recycling, the demands on overburdened neighborhoods will be less and as a result they will experience less air pollution.

Additionally, reducing the cost of sending waste to out-of-state landfills will in turn reduce the use of taxpayer funds. Waste reduction and less truck traffic will improve pedestrian safety, respiratory health, and overall quality of life.

GFDD Film Productions
If you wish to learn more about the importance of recycling and sustainable development generally, then make sure you attend screenings of GFDD’s environmental documentaries on these issues titled Garbage or Resource? A Dominican Republic Experience and Value of Life, which are screening during the 6th edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival taking place throughout the Dominican Republic on September 13-18, 2016.

Information regarding screening times is available here:

• Value of
  Life;
• Garbage or Resource? A Dominican Republic Experience

About Value of Life
Historically,
little value is placed on natural capital when looking at growth equations and socioeconomic development. It is difficult for big businesses, and more so for ordinary people, to quantify the significance of natural resources and make the value of nature tangible in our daily lives. The new Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) production responds to those questions: How much is the natural capital of the Dominican Republic worth? How do we put a price on the ecosystem the
planet has given us and that allows us to survive?

About Garbage or Resource? A Dominican Republic Experience
The Dominican Republic has more than 340 open-air landfills without any type of management or control, which have become
highly-concentrated areas of air and water pollution. Fortunately, the country is witnessing cultural changes which are creating initiatives that convert this “problem” into an opportunity for development. The message is clear: trash is no longer just trash, rather it has value. As long as trash can be utilized, it is not trash. The appropriate term is “discarded material,” a resource which is raw material and then turned into a new product. Produced
by GFDD/Funglode, the film depicts how recycling has become an important economic opportunity for Dominicans.

About DREFF
Since its creation in 2011, the DREFF –an initiative of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and the Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode) – has been providing Dominicans with a platform of knowledge and debate on the environment and sustainable development, along with its challenges
and best practices, while celebrating the unique beauty and wealth that is the Dominican Republic’s natural heritage. With a diverse selection of films and numerous panels, workshops, seminars, and community activities, DREFF promotes dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and experience, inspiring Dominicans to adopt actions that contribute to the appreciation, conservation, and sustainable use of their environmental resources.

Find all the information on our
website and social networks!
www.dreff.org / info@dreff.org

Twitter e Instagram @MuestraCine / Facebook MuestraCineMedioambiental
#DREFF y #YoSoySostenible

Related links:
http://www1.nyc.gov/site/sustainability/initiatives/zero-waste.page
http://www.recrearte.org/
http://www.dreff.org/
http://www.dreff.org/dreff2016/basura-o-recurso-experiencia-de-la-republica-dominicana/?lang=en
http://www.dreff.org/dreff2016/peliculas/?lang=en