Sustainable Sleepy Hollow

Join Our Next Monthly Meeting: Monday, November 4th at 7 pm
All are welcome to join in-person at Village Hall (28 Beekman Ave). For those who prefer to join remotely, please use this Zoom Meeting link. (Meeting ID: 886 0983 4663, Passcode: 208060)

One Thing to Take Off Your Fall List: Blowing Away All Those Leaves

This year, consider raking instead of using leaf blowers in your yard, and if you hire a landscaper, inquire if they are familiar with the leaf mulching practice; if not, direct them to HealthyYards.org. If you prefer to use a leaf blower for your driveway, terrace or other hardscape elements, please consider using an electric model. Electric leaf blowers are cleaner and quieter. Better still, clear up your paved areas with a broom.

It’s exciting that just like Sleepy Hollow, most municipalities in Westchester have some type of restriction on gas leaf blowers (GLBs). That is great: for residents, landscaping workers, and for the pollinators!

The regulation of leaf blowers with combustion engines is important for several reasons:

Climate Change: Limitations on GLBs highlight the excessive carbon footprint of two-stroke engines. To combat climate change, phasing out these engines is essential. This isn’t just a landscaping issue—it’s part of a global shift away from dirty combustion engines toward cleaner energy solutions. Air quality: Air pollution is a leading cause of death, and Westchester County received an “F” for air quality from the American Lung Association. Gasoline leaf blowers contribute to high levels of ozone and particulate matter—key pollutants in our area. This is unhealthy for everyone, but especially harmful for those who operate these engines daily. Environment and Pollinators: In many towns, GLB restrictions have been paired with education on the importance of leaves and healthy soil for the environment and wildlife. As a result, more homeowners are adopting sustainable landscaping practices.

Check out the below comparison chart, print it, and share it with your landscaper so they can navigate the regulations and ensure they have the right equipment.

On Friday November 1st, take a pause to
‘Light a Candle’ for the health of the Hudson and hold the EPA
accountable to finish cleaning up toxic PCBs that poison our river. Free registration here!

Haga clic para la versión en español.

Great News for Compost Lovers: The Rivertowns Are Exploring Residential Food Scrap Collection!

As seen in the Rivertowns Dispatch, June 21, 2024

With a $25,000 grant from the Hudson River Valley Greenway in tow, seven villages have taken a step towards implementing a curbside food scrap collection program.

As of June 18, the Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Hastings, Irvington, Tarrytown, and Sleepy Hollow boards of trustees had passed resolutions agreeing to fund a study about collecting residents’ food scraps for composting.

The study, conducted by civil engineering firm VHB, is expected to cost $100,000, with each village chipping in equal amounts to pay the $75,000 not covered by the grant. The villages also plan to split the cost of implementing the collection program.

“We figured as small communities it would not be terribly efficient if we each went off in our own direction and did our own thing,” Irvington Village Administrator Larry Schopfer said. “It would make some sense if there’s some ability to cooperate and collaborate on this.”

Irvington is acting as the lead agency for the program by collecting the grant money and overseeing the contract with VHB. Once the study is done, the villages will look into the next steps recommended by the firm. The actual collection would likely not begin before the end of 2024, according to Schopfer.

How To Simplify and Greenify Your Halloween
Below tips offered by Annie Kravet, TEAC Member

As you start planning for the Halloween festivities, keep the environment in mind! Here are some easy ways to make your Halloween less wasteful: 

Pumpkin Carving

If you plan on carving a pumpkin this year, keep it out of the waste stream! Since food waste is about 70% water, it requires lots of energy to burn and Westchester County uses incineration for waste management. Pumpkins also release the greenhouse gas methane as they rot and break down. Once Halloween is over or your Jack-O-Lantern starts to get soft, break/smash it up as much as possible and bring it to one of Sleepy Hollow’s food scrap recycling bins.

Here are some great ideas for what to do with the pumpkin insides you scoop out before carving: 

1. Separate out the seeds, salt them, and roast them in the oven. Healthy and delicious!
2. Save seeds and plant them in the spring 
3. Save the pulp for cooking (puree it and use for baking, or sauté it with onions and other vegetables like celery and garlic, then add water and let it simmer for around 45 minutes to make a flavorful vegetable broth, etc.) 

Costumes: Skip the one-time use store bought costume. These usually end up in the landfill after one or two uses. Instead consider a DIY costume made with easily recycled materials or things you already have at home. Or search around at local thrift stores for clothes and accessories. Not feeling creative or don’t have time to put something together? Try looking online for a second hand costume. Try going to swap.com and searching “costumes” for second hand costumes. You can also try Facebook Marketplace and Ebay. 

Decorations: If you plan on decorating your house, use what you already have or try to find second-hand decor. You can make ghosts out of old pillow cases, or set out natural decor like pumpkins and gourds that can be composted instead of tossed in the trash. There are tons of eco friendly ideas out there for Halloween decorations – try searching Pinterest for “eco friendly Halloween” if you would like more inspiration. 

Back By Popular Demand….
Community Plastic Film Recycling!

Last year, students at Washington Irving Intermediate School reached their goal of collecting 1,000 lbs of plastic film to be recycled into a Buddy Bench. Now the students of the Sleepy Hollow High School SPEAR club (Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Responsibility) are carrying the torch and welcoming donations of plastic film from the community!

Bring plastic films using the below guidelines to the entry lobby of the SHHS (210 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, New York 10591) between 9-2 on school days. If you can volunteer to help SPEAR bring collected plastic films to a nearby recycling dropoff, please email faculty advisor Wendy Waczek.

TUFSD students are #WastelessHorsemen!

And One More Item We Can Now Recycle Locally: Kids Pouches!

Sleepy Hollow resident and business owner Devin Bandelli is working with TerraCycle, a company that recycles hard-to-recycle items, to recycle your squeezable snack plastic pouches and caps.

Drop off any time at Devinion House (38 S Broadway in Tarrytown). Look for the black bin on the side of the building (it’s a corner building, so the bin itself is located on Elizabeth St.)

You can recycle all brands of squeezable snack plastic pouches and caps. You do not need to clean the packaging before dropping it off, but please remove as much of the remaining product as possible before dropping off.  Please be mindful when tossing the pouches in; it’s only for pouches, so please don’t toss anything else inside.