“Celebrate Our Earth” Waste Collection Event at Wagner Houses

Wagner Houses residents recycled around 1,900 pounds of textiles during the first of its kind Reuse-A-Thon – a  recycling event organized by Inner City Green Team (ICGT) in cooperation with NYCHA’s Sustainability team, NeighborhoodStat at Wagner Houses, the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), Manhattan SWAB, Brooklyn SWAB, and GrowNYC. ICGT is a resident-founded and resident-led non-profit providing recycling education and job opportunities to NYCHA residents through various recycling initiatives. During the April 30 event at Wagner Houses in East Harlem, ICGT launched and introduced to residents a new “One Stop Drop Waste Prevention Center” initiative.

More than 200 Wagner residents brought in waste that requires special recycling (e.g., textiles, shoes, electronics, batteries, light bulbs, and more). Residents also contributed their gently used unwanted clothing and shoes to ICGT’s Reuse-A-Thon™ textile exchange initiative to help decrease textile waste throughout the development. The event also featured recycling education workshops and the “Conscious Children’s Climate Corner,” where children learned about the importance of recycling and different types of waste. The “Celebrate OUR Earth” event is part of an ongoing environmental awareness campaign to amplify waste diversion and recycling efforts throughout Wagner Houses (and ultimately at NYCHA developments citywide).