Municipal Compost Drop Off

Want to help reduce climate change? The City of Beacon-Conservation Advisory Committee is hosting a municipal compost drop off program for your food waste for free. Composting is a great way to reduce the waste burned at the county incinerator, which can contribute to unsafe air conditions.

All Beaconites can use the compost drop-sites located at the Beacon Recreation Center (23 West Center St), Memorial Park (across from Ron’s Ice cream), and Churchill St Lot (near Hudson Valley Brewery). This 6-month pilot program was a huge success and has received funding through 2024! The bins are not available for use by businesses or restaurants at this time.

Please help by providing us with feedback on your experience! For even more information, visit the City of Beacon Website. Please watch our “how to compost” videos starring Beacon students, parent, teacher, the Mayor and a whole bunch of compost!

2024 UPDATE

Starting in 2024, the compost program no longer accepts “compostable plastics” such as bin liners, compostable bags, utensils or containers. Bamboo based utensils are acceptable. We ask that pizza boxes be shredded up and other cardboard boxes go into your single stream recycling container. Packing tape and labels are not compostable.

Pollinator Pathways Locations:

• Greenway Trail along Fishkill Creek
• Forrestal, Glenham and Sargent Elementary Schools
• Elks Club at the corner of Wolcott Ave. and Tioronda
• Pathways by the Green Teens in the summer can be found at the Recreational Center, Waste Water Treatment Plant and the University Settlement Camp

OTHER RESOURCES

• Pollinator Pathway

• Homegrown National Park

• Download our Native Plant List

A collaboration between Healey Brothers Inc., Sustainable Hudson Valley, Beacon’s Conservation Advisory Committee, the Green Beacon Coalition, Sustainable Putnam, and Climate Smart Philipstown will be hosting an electronic vehicle test drive event at the Beacon Elks lodge on Sunday September 19 from 10am-1pm.

The event offered test drives in their Ford Mach-E, Hyundai Kona & Ioniq, Kia Niro and Chevy Bolt EVs. The event also featured EV education and individual & group-purchase incentives to local residents and neighboring communities.

Each test drive was an opportunity to learn about EVs and raise money to fight climate change. Healey Brothers donated over $400 to Sustainable Hudson Valley for each registered test drive.

Earth Day City Wide Clean up

THANK YOU volunteers for another successful spring cleaning!
110 individuals came out to collected two truck loads of trash from sites throughout the city. Gathering litter helps stop waste from washing into the Hudson river and eventually vast oceans, all while beautifying our neighborhood!

If you were inspired by the event or weren’t able to attend, you can make every day Earth Day by cleaning up litter as you find it in your neighborhood. From walking the dog or strolling down Main St., grab just one piece of litter on your way to make a huge impact on our community and the world.

Local Recycling 101

Proper waste management starts at home. Recycling contamination remains a problem at processing sites across the country as well as our own backyard. The GBC asks households to do their part in reducing contamination. Take 2 minutes to watch the Republic Recycling Service - Recycling Simplified video on easy step we all can take today!

BEST PRACTICES:

DON’T BAG IT: Throw your items into the bin loose. Please do not dispose of plastic bags in your bin. Save plastic bags in the kitchen and reuse them over and over. When they are no longer useful, drop the off at collection bins at Key Food and the Farmer Market.

CLEAN: Increasing costs to clean recyclables hurts the future of recycling. Food is a major contributor to contamination at processing plants. Please remove food, rinse and dry all item before disposing in your bin. Re-cap your items too, loose caps are also considered a contaminant.

WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT: Use the Recycling Simplified guide from our local Republic Services processing center on RT 52 to help you decide. If you are still not sure, throw it out in the regular trash. If you choose to support a delicious local restaurant, use this take-out guide to help dispose of the container.

New recycling can stickers are available for pick up at City Hall during normal business hours. Ask for an extra sticker to bring to a family member or neighbor.

Energy Efficiency At Home

Mid-Hudson Energy Choices is a collaboration of Cornell Cooperative Extension offices in Dutchess, Sullivan, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester counties, and is funded by a grant from NYSERDA. Meet the Energy Navigator from the Cornell Cooperative program in Beacon, Holly O'Grady. She helps people make home improvement decisions that best suits their wallet and the environment. Mid-Hudson Energy Choices provides free support regarding energy efficiency, renewable heat or solar programs and more

Here are additional resources for smart long term home investments. Use the refrigerator and freezer guide and the AC guide before your next purchase.