Sustainable Sleepy Hollow

The New Year has kicked off with some good news at the national level, with Biden’s ban on offshore drilling in 625 million acres of ocean. Meanwhile, your local Sustainable Sleepy Hollow team has been setting priorities for the year, and putting together an events calendar to bring our community together for hands-on environmental action and advocacy. We’ve welcomed new faces at the table for our monthly meeting, and hope you’ll consider being one of them in February!

Join Our Monthly Meeting: Monday, February 3rd 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)

Doing a little early Spring cleaning to make way for 2025? There are many places such as The Community Wardrobe or the Salvation Army where you can donate clothing in good condition. But what about those old worn shoes? That stained or torn shirt? The Village is partnering with Helpsy and Westchester County to recycle those types of textiles that can’t be otherwise donated. You don’t even need to head out in the freezing January weather – Helpsy will come to you! Details below….

Have you tried Helpsy for your textile recycling?

It’s hard to believe, but over 85% of clothes end up in the trash. It’s over 100 pounds per person per year in the US and is occupying nearly 10% of our landfills.

Helpsy collects, sorts, and trades second hand clothes and shoes. Any clothing and accessories that are clean, dry, and odorless are accepted. Everything should be kept dry in a closed, plastic bag. 

Visit Helpsy’s website to learn more; you can enter your zip code to find the nearest bin, or schedule a pickup in your home.

Have You Met Our New Leader?

SSH is thrilled to welcome Char Weigel as our new co-chair, and thanks Anne White for–among other accomplishments–tripling the size of our committee during her tenure! Thankfully, Anne will continue on as an active committee member.
Char has been on the Sleepy Hollow ClimateSmart Task Force for several years and a volunteer with the Sleepy Hollow Environmental Advisory Committee organizing the annual Riverkeeper Sweep among other activities. She says, “It is incredibly rewarding to work with our village government, TUSFD and, most especially, so many dedicated and creative neighbors who all share a vision for a more sustainable village. And what a bonus that we have a great time together doing it!”

Recycle Your Soft Plastics (But Not In Your Curbside Bin!)

DYK the most common “contaminating” item in Westchester’s recycling stream is plastic bags? They get stuck in the machinery at the recycling factory–tell a friend!

Good news is, Sleepy Hollow High School is collecting plastic film for the Trex Buddy Bench Recycling Challenge. If you or someone you know have plastic film to donate, please click here to review what can and cannot be included, as well as drop off locations.

To create a more sustainable future, we need to curb emissions from one of its largest sources: our buildings. By transitioning our homes to high-efficiency heat pumps that provide heating and cooling, we will reduce greenhouse gases, improve air quality, and have greater resilience to rising temperatures. Right now, though, New Yorkers are locked into a fracked gas system that keeps growing. That’s why we need YOU to join us in Albany!

NY HEAT RALLY & LOBBY DAYDATE: Tuesday, February 4th  TIME: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM LOCATION: NY State Legislative Office Building, Albany RSVP HERE  (The local chapter of the climate advocacy group Mothers Out Front is participating, so you can list “Mothers Out Front” as the organization you’re affiliated with so we can be sure to meet up at the Capital.)  Bus transportation provided from Brooklyn, Manhattan, Bronx, Croton, Kingston, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse.  Carpool options also available.

Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council (TEAC) is partnering with Lyndhurst for a winter seed sowing workshop and invasive vine removal demo. It’s a great opportunity to experience the beauty of the winter landscape at Lyndhurst, get advice from their horticulturist and sow some native seeds to take home. Sign up here!