I was thrilled to meet Anna Sacks! She’s a waste expert who worked on passing waste legislation in NYC and raised awareness on social media as @thetrashwalker on Instagram. Guess what? I’m one of her half a million followers! Anna is the Legislative Chair for the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board and co-founder of NYC’s #SaveOurCompost coalition. They formed after COVID-related composting budget cuts. We were on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday. My school invited some of our students to speak about the composting budget. They’re 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders who are on the Junior Student Council.
This school year, 2024-2025, I became the Sustainability Coordinator. Our school is still super excited about becoming a Climate Action & Environmental Justice-minded haven. We’re learning about “Plastic Free Lunch Days” and “Mindful Choice Meals.” Our students are participating in Climate Action Days, the NYC Big Clean Up, and composting in the Polo Grounds.
I learned about a bunch of cool ideas that could help make our community cleaner and bring people together. Our students taught me a lot!
Let’s get our neighborhood sparkling! Here are some fun ways we can work together to keep our streets clean and our parks beautiful.
Clean-Up Crew: We can organize regular neighborhood clean-up events where we all pitch in to collect litter, remove invasive plants, and give our local parks a fresh makeover. It’s a great way to bond with our neighbors and feel proud of our community. We can even team up with schools, local businesses, and environmental organizations to make these events even bigger and better.
Waste Not, Want Not: We can spread the word about the importance of reducing waste, recycling, and composting. For example, we could start a household composting program and a local business composting program. This would help us reduce the amount of trash we send to landfills and give our community gardens some much-needed soil.
Green Up Our Neighborhood: We can get our hands dirty and plant some trees, create green spaces, and set up neighborhood gardens. Green spaces are not only great for the environment, but they also make our neighborhoods feel more inviting and safe. Plus, they’re a great way for us to connect with nature and get some exercise.
Recycle and Repurpose: We can organize events or pop-ups where people can donate unwanted furniture, electronics, or other items that would otherwise end up in the trash. Then, we can repurpose or recycle these items, reducing waste and giving our community a creative boost.
With Love,
Cynthia
thaBUMPblog 