RECYCLING SGNA ALLEY PROJECT

SGNA pays for 45 dusk-to-dawn alley lights in the neighborhood. These lights were

installed specifically for safety purposes and to reduce criminal activity in the alleys.

The cost is approximately $6,600.00 a year; we obtain a $3,000.00 grant from the City

that pays part of that annual cost. Our Recycling Alley Light Project and donations at

our events is how we cover the rest of that cost.

YOUR PLASTIC WATER, SODA, AND ENERGY DRINK BOTTLES CAN BRING IN

STEADY DONATIONS TO THE ALLEY LIGHTS PROJECT.

ONCE A WEEK AS YOU GET READY FOR FRIDAY RECYCLING, OR ANYTIME

DURING THE WEEK, YOU CAN BRING THEM TO MY HOUSE IN A RECYCLED

GROCERY BAG OR GARBAGE BAG.

PLEASE EMPTY THE BOTTLES AND YOU CAN LEAVE THE CAPS ON.

YOUR ALUMINUM SODA AND BEER CANS BRING IN EVEN MORE MONEY TO THE

PROJECT. PLEASE EMPTY THE CANS – JUST SHAKE OUT ANY EXTRA LIQUID.

I’D LOVE IT IF YOU RINSED THEM OUT TO KEEP THE BEES AND ANTS AWAY!

THERE IS A DEDICATED RECYCLING CONTAINER JUST FOR THE ALLEY LIGHTS

ON MY CARPORT. IF IT’S FULL (YAY!), JUST LEAVE THE BAG NEXT TO THE

CONTAINER OR PUT IT IN THE OTHER RECYCLING CONTAINER. I USUALLY

EMPTY THE BINS EVERY OTHER DAY, SO THERE SHOULD BE ROOM.

AT THE END OF JUNE 2018, THE PROJECT RAISED A TOTAL OF $2,817.53

[$659.00 IN EVENT DONATIONS; $821.53 IN PERSONAL DONATIONS; $105.00

FROM T-SHIRT SALES; AND $1,232.00 FROM THE PLASTIC AND CANS].

AT THE END OF JUNE 2019, THE PROJECT RAISED A TOTAL OF $1,758.15

[$566.00 IN EVENT/PERSONAL DONATIONS AND $1,192.15 FROM THE PLASTIC

AND CANS].

RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 60 HOUSEHOLDS PARTICIPATING.

THEY EITHER BRING IT TO ME OR, ON MY WALKS IN THE MORNING, I PICK IT

UP FROM HOMES ON/NEAR MY WALKING ROUTE. BUT WE HAVE 400 HOMES IN

THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SO IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THOSE OF US WHO

ALREADY PARTICIPATE ENGAGE JUST ONE OR TWO OR YOUR NEIGHBORS

AND HELP THEM HELP US IN THIS PROJECT.

IDEALLY IF WE COULD GET MORE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTICIPATION, THERE

WOULD BE ONE PERSON/FAMILY ON EACH BLOCK WHO COULD BE A DROP-

OFF POINT AND THEN WE CAN COMBINE THESE EFFORTS ONCE A WEEK OR

EVERY OTHER WEEK, ETC. WE COULD PAY FOR THE EXISTING LIGHTS PLUS

HAVE MORE LIGHTS INSTALLED. REMEMBER THIS IS ALL FOR SAFETY AND

TO REDUCE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN THE ALLEYS.

WHAT’S IN YOUR BLUE BIN? RECYCLING TIPS

The TV ads for Republic Services, the ads for Capitol One, and recent

articles in the newspaper have inspired me to remind SGNA neighbors

about Blue Bin recycling:

NO PIZZA boxes in the blue bins – the grease and food stuck to the boxes

contaminates the load, defeating the purpose of recycling. NOTE: The City

has indicated you could put the tops of pizza boxes in if they are not

greasy/dirty.

NO PLASTIC grocery or wastebasket bags or the plastic wrapping from

cases of water bottles, paper towels/toilet tissue, etc. None of that type of

plastic. These plastic items get caught in the machinery of the truck and at

the sorting plant. You can take these soft plastic bags to the grocery stores

to participate in the City’s Soft Plastic Program. Our nearby stores – Fry’s,

Safeway, and Sprouts – all have bins near the front of the store to put

these plastic bags in.

Also, DO NOT “bag up” your recycle items - just put the appropriate recycle

items directly in the bin.

NO STYROFOAM plates, cups, take-out containers, etc. These go into the

garbage bins.

NO GARBAGE! NO food waste. Remember, recycling is not composting.

SO WHAT DOES GO IN the Blue Bin?

CARDBOARD and CHIPBOARD (that’s the cereal box weight), including

soda/beer/water 12-pack boxes. You will have more room if you flatten the

boxes and cut the tape on those big boxes so you can flatten them down.

Save on resources by only needing to put out your bin every other week.

PAPER: Newspaper, catalogs, magazines, and junk mail. But NO paper

napkins, towels, gift-wrapping, or tissue paper weight.

CANS: Metal (tin and steel) food cans – Wipe or rinse them out, please.

Again, a reminder for no food waste.

GLASS JARS: Bottles only (separate from their metal tops). But NO light

bulbs, broken windows or mirrors, etc.

JUGS: Those large milky-consistency water, tea and juice jugs.

BEVERAGE CANS: Aluminum. NO, WAIT -- you should be recycling

the aluminum cans for the SGNA ALLEY LIGHTS project.

PLASTIC bottles: NO WAIT – you should be recycling those for the

SGNA ALLEY LIGHTS project. All sizes of non-milky plastic with a #1 in

the little triangle, includes drinks (all colors of water, soda/pop, juice,

energy drinks, tea, etc) and other similar clear containers like those gallon

cheese puffs and pretzel containers, peanut and mixed nut containers,

kitchen dish washing soap, house cleaners, hand soap, peanut butter,

mayonnaise. Not the cooking oil bottles though. There’s lots of plastic that

we can recycle for the SGNA Recycling Alley Lights Project.

The City has a fun video tour of the entire recycling process. Watch it at

Phoenix.goZeroWastev/. It’s eye-opening as to the entire process and will

show you just how important it is to be a good recycler.

WHAT TO DO: Send a text to Kay at 602-616-4684 and identify yourself

with SGNA AND YOUR ADDRESS and we will figure out how to get you

participating.