Green Things You Can Do for Earth Day

Earth Day 2011 is not until April 22, but why wait until then to think about ways to clean up the environment and treat our planet a bit better?

One up-coming event is the Battle of Yorktown. You can start marshalling your troops now for battle against litter, which will take place on April 16. That day, people will travel through the town picking up roadside litter, said Kim Angliss-Gage of the town of Yorktown's Environmental Conservation Department.

"It is our litter abatement program, our war on litter," she said.

The picker-uppers can be in teams from companies, organizations, or families, or come by themselves, Angliss-Gage said. However, everyone must register in advance with the department, which is why you have to start planning soon. Participants will be given gloves, a reflective safety vest, a litter grabbing stick, and orange plastic bags for the stuff found along the roads in the hamlets of Yorktown.

The Battle of Yorktown has been held annually for several years, Angliss-Gage said. Last year, participants picked up 10 tons of garbage, and that was a low year because of bad weather, she said.

Like charity, environmentalism starts at home and there will be two Household Material Recovery Days in April at FDR Park. If you are doing your spring cleaning and have residential waste that you are not allowed to put out curbside (such as chemicals, motor oil, or car tires), bring it to the park on Friday, April 8, from noon to 4 p.m. or Saturday, April 9, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is free to county residents, but you need to pre-register if you are bringing more than 100 pounds of solid waste or 25 gallons of liquids. All chemicals should be in their original or labeled containers. Learn more at Westchester County's recycling page.

If you have an interest in what happens to your garbage after it leaves your curb or gets collected in other ways, you can arrange for a tour of the Material Recovery Facility in Yonkers. Most people don't know that Westchester's garbage is not sent to a landfill, said Sarah Garvan, staff assistant for solid waste with the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities.

The trash is taken to the MRF where it is sorted and separated and then sold to third-party manufacturers including a waste-to-energy facility in Peekskill where it is incinerated to generate electricity with fewer emissions than a coal-fired plant, she said. Tours of the MRF are often taken by school and scout groups, but adults can arrange for a tour as well, said Garvan.

You can find out more by clicking here.

You can step up your plastic recycling starting in June, too. Garvan said that more types of plastics will be acceptable for recycling starting on June 7. All plastics coded 3 through 7 will be recyclable and you can throw them into your recycling bins starting then, she said.

Other eco-events are also coming up. will have a seminar, "Putting in Your First Garden," on Saturday, April 2,  from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Barn F. A farmer will show you how to start your very own vegetable garden. There is a maximum of 20 participants and registration is required. The fee is $20 fee per person, but $5 for children. To register, call (914) 962-2368 ext. 2.

GreenYorktown, an environmental advocacy group, and Teatown Lake Reservation are joining forces for an educational seminar on Sustainable Living on Wednesday, May 4, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Teatown. The program is free for Teatown members and $5 for others. For more information click here.

On Earth Day itself, Westchester County is planning a big shindig. The celebration is on April 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. The day will feature music, raffles, fresh produce, and  lawn and gardening advice. The first 200 families to arrive will receive a free gift and the first 500 people to arrive will receive one free raffle ticket. Raffle prizes include mulching lawn mowers, a children's bicycle, a free home energy audit, and other items related to the Earth Day theme.