On October 14, ten members of the Kendal Environmental Action Committee toured the Westchester Materials Recovery Center in Yonkers. Bob Abramovitz, Chair, Kendal Environmental Action Committee, reports:
From the third-floor viewing deck, we watched trucks unload paper and cardboard on one side and mixed glass, plastic, aluminum, and metal on the other. Our guide, Tom Higgins, explained how magnets, optical scanners, air jets, and lasers sort the materials into separate streams for shipment to buyers.
Kendal sends its recyclables here for free, compared with $46.37 per ton to burn our trash if sent to Peekskill. Last year, the center earned $4.5 million selling recyclables, helping cover its costs. The message is clear: recycling saves money, conserves resources, and helps protect our climate.