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