New project: Support our composting efforts on ioby!

Compost Kids (photo by Elisabeth Deogracias)

We recently launched a project on ioby – an online microphilanthropy initiative for NYC environmental projects – to raise funds to build a 3-bin compost system at our new communal garden on Church Avenue. The compost bins will provide nutrient-rich fertilizer for the garden while engaging residents in discussions on waste reduction as part of the garden’s community activities. We are actively seeking supporters for this project as compost is a key component of a zero waste initiative, especially in a community garden–so help us realize this goal and pledge a donation right now, right HERE!

No Impact Man Film Poster

April 15th 2010: Earth Day Film screening of No Impact Man

In order to educate and promote a less wasteful lifestyle, Sustainable Flatbush co-sponsored, with Flatbush Food Co-op, and Ditmas Park West Neighborhood Association, a screening of Colin Beavan’s self-assigned challenge to live for a year creating as little impact on the environment as possible. Addressing issues of consumption, transportation, and electricity, Beavan documents his struggles and successes to live as efficiently as possible.

April 11 2010: National Grid Earth Day Celebration

We kicked off Earth Week celebrations by partnering with Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts and Brooklyn College Community Partnership to produce the 2010 National Grid Earth Day Celebration, bringing together the following organizations, artists, and performers: Brooklyn Botanic Garden; Garbage of Eden Designs; the ArtLab of the Brooklyn College Community Partnership; Seeds, Soil & Sunshine (seed starting workshop); Plant Secrets (children’s gardening); New York City Fire Department; New York City Department of Parks & Recreation; Nydia “Liberty” Mata; Tova Ackerman’s Puppetry In Practice; Campus Road Garden at Brooklyn College; Puppeteer Ronny Wasserstrom; Teaching Artist Susan Marinoff; and the Bar Mitzvah Project (selling reusable bags to benefit the Rainforest Alliance).

Our main demonstration, aligned with the Zero Waste initiative, was creating colorful flowers out of used plastic bottles with children. This project encouraged kids and parents to think more creatively about how to divert waste from the landfills and more generally about rethinking the potential of disposable items.

National Grid Earth Day (photo by Rick Berube)

Support Our Work!

If you like what our Zero Waste Initiative is doing, help us continue showing Brooklynites how to reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost! You can make a secure, tax-deductible donation to Sustainable Flatbush HERE!

While we were getting ready for our second annual Greening Flatbush: Garden Where You Are Event, we had to decide what would make our space look like Sustainable Flatbush was coming through without creating a lot of waste.

Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. (Clean Air Council)  We wanted to reduce that amount of waste, not add to it by buying brand new decorations! New York City already throws away enough garbage every day to fill the Empire State Building! (Clean Air Council)  How could we add to that in good conscience with our Zero Waste Initiative begging people to divert usable resources from the waste stream?

Flowers from Recycled Bottles (photo by Keka)

Keka had a great idea! We would use materials that people would have sent to landfills or recycling centers and instead, we would turn them into art.  During our arts & crafts party at Vox Pop, we cut water bottles into flowers, cut used paper into flowers, and even learned how to fold origami! One person’s garbage is another person’s reusable decorations!

After we had a bunch of flowers cut, we got to paint, sew paper flowers together, and talk about how great we hoped the event would be.  Our flowers were made with love and they filled the room with an air of DIY as all of the attendees and talented tablers discussed the upcoming gardening season.

Making Decorations at Brooklyn College (photo by Keka)

Thanks so much to everyone who helped and attended the event!!

Don’t throw it away! Bring it to the

FLATBUSH FREEMEET

sponsored by Sustainable Flatbush and Freecycle™ New York City

WHEN
Saturday, May 9, 2009
From 11AM – 3PM

WHERE
P.S. 217 Playground
1100 Newkirk Avenue
(at Coney Island Avenue)
Flatbush, Brooklyn

Directions: Q train to Newkirk Ave, F to 18th Ave, or B68 bus to Coney Island Avenue and Newkirk.

WHY
Help reduce waste and keep our environment clean by finding new homes for your old stuff, and getting some things you can use in the process. Leftovers will be donated or recycled to every extent possible.

WHAT
Bring unwanted clothing, housewares and other reusable items to share* OR simply bring a tote bag to fill. Bring friends and family too!

Everything at the FreeMeet is FREE!

Got wire hangers? Bring ‘em to the FreeMeet so we can hang clothes and recycle the hangers afterwards.

* No furniture or heavy items, please. Bring portable items only and log on to http://www.Freecycle.org to give away furniture and other heavy stuff. More info on FreeMeet guidelines available here.

________________________________________

Spring Cleaning? Don’t Throw It Away—-Bring it to the Freecycle™ NYC FreeMeet!

Freecycle New York City celebrates spring and reaching 40,000+ members with TWO FreeMeets:

Saturday, April 18, 2009, 12pm-3pm
JJ Byrne Park (dead end on 4th Street b/t 5th Ave and the Old Stone House in the park)
Park Slope, Brooklyn

WHY: New Yorkers discard some 12,000 tons of waste each day, much of which is exported to landfills and incinerators in other states. Here’s your chance to help reduce waste and keep our environment clean by finding new homes for your old stuff, and getting some things you can use in the process. Leftovers will be donated or recycled to every extent possible.

WHAT TO BRING: Bring unwanted clothing, housewares and other reusable items* to share or simply bring a tote bag to fill. Bring friends and family too!

Got wire hangers? Bring ‘em to the FreeMeet so we can hang clothes and
recycle the hangers afterwards.

Love the idea but you’re already booked this Saturday? How about 2 weeks from now, right here in Flatbush?
Come to the FreeMeet on–

Saturday, May 9, 2009, 12pm-3pm
P.S. 217 Playground (1100 Newkirk Avenue at Coney Island Avenue)
Flatbush, Brooklyn

MORE INFO: www.RecycleThisNYC.org/freemeet

*please bring portable items only and log on to www.Freecycle.org to give away furniture and other heavy stuff.

REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE
at the FLATBUSH FREEMEET!

sponsored by
Sustainable Flatbush
and Freecycle™ New York City

Saturday, November 22, 2008
12 noon – 3pm
P.S. 217 Playground
(1100 Newkirk Avenue at Coney Island Avenue)
Flatbush, Brooklyn

Directions: Q train to Newkirk Ave or F to 18th Ave, or B68 bus to Coney Island Avenue and Newkirk.  You will find the FreeMeet underneath the scaffolding next to the playground.

WHY:
New Yorkers discard some 12,000 tons of waste each day that is exported to landfills and incinerators in other states! Here’s your chance to help NYC reduce waste and keep our environment clean by finding new homes for your old stuff, and getting some things you can use in the process. Leftovers will be donated or recycled to every extent possible.

WHAT TO BRING:
Bring unwanted clothing, housewares and other reusable items to share* or simply bring a tote bag to fill. Bring friends and family too!

Electronics Recycling!
Bring electronics to be reused, recycled and redistributed through Rattech, who will accept old computers, electronic equipment, printers, monitors, CD’s, toner / ink cartridges, etc.

Got wire hangers?
Bring ‘em to the FreeMeet so we can hang clothes and recycle the hangers afterwards.

Bring used BRITA FILTERS to donate to the Take Back the Filter campaign

MORE INFO:
www.RecycleThisNYC.org/freemeet

*please bring portable items only and log on to www.Freecycle.org to give away furniture and other heavy stuff.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle at the
Freecycle™ New York City Back-to-School FreeMeet!
{it’s not just for students!}

Saturday, September 13, 2008
11am – 4pm
Behind the Old Stone House
(5th Ave btw. Third and Fourth Streets)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Bring unwanted clothing, housewares and other reusable items to share*
or simply bring a tote bag to fill. Leftovers will be donated or recycled to every extent possible.
As the name suggests, the Freecycle NYC FreeMeet is FREE!

Directions: F/R train to Fourth Ave, R to Union St. or B63 bus to Third St. & Fifth Ave. You will find the FreeMeet between the Old Stone House and the basketball court.

MORE INFO: www.RecycleThisNYC.org/freemeet

*please bring portable items only and log on to www.Freecycle.org to give away furniture and other heavy stuff.

Got wire hangers? Bring ‘em to the FreeMeet so we can hang clothes and recycle the hangers afterwards.

Bring used BRITA FILTERS to donate to the Take Back the Filter campaign
(www.takebackthefilter.org).

Don’t want to miss the next FreeMeet? Sign up for FreeMeet Alerts here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreeMeetAlert

photo: Cambridge Community Television