Clean City Program - Events

Newport's Earth Day Celebration - April 11-April 21, with main events happening on April 14

Spring Recycling Day

Saturday, April 28, 2012 - 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Easton's Beach east parking lot

Download the pdf flyer here

The Newport Public Services Department's Clean City Program would like invite Newport & other area residents to stop by the Clean City Program's Spring Recycling Day, held on Saturday, April 28 from 9am until 1pm in the Easton's Beach east parking lot, 175 Memorial Blvd.

There, residents will be able to recycle a wide variety of items, as well as purchase new recycling bins and compost bins. There will be no entry into the event until its start time of 9am. Absolutely no hazardous waste will be accepted. This event is sponsored by the City of Newport's Clean City Program, Waste Management, The East Bay Met School, the Newport Energy & Environment Commission and Boy Scouts of America, Troop 3, Newport.

This event is also part of Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup, which takes place nationally from March through May. Any area resident may attend this event, free of charge.

This event will accept the following items for recycling. Please call 845-5613 for a detailed list of items accepted along with rules and guidelines. All vendors listed will take items on a first come, first served basis:

• Paper shredding service (paper will be recycled): Newport area residents are invited to bring up to four banker size boxes of paper to be shredded. Residents may bring their documents in any type of carrying container but must stay within the four banker box limit. Files can be left in manila file folders and hanging files. Staples and paper clips are also acceptable to leave in your files. Residents will be served on a first come, first serve basis. Once the truck is full, we will not be able to take additional documents for shredding. If you do not wish to keep your cardboard box, it will be recycled through the City of Newport.
• Electronic waste: Computers/CPUs, monitors, keyboards, mice, scanners, televisions, laptops, fax machines, modems, routers, VCRs, DVD players, miscellaneous computer parts and wires, digital cameras, cell phones & accessories, air conditioners and more. No dehumidifiers, refrigerators and large metal items such as washers and dryers.
• Rigid plastics not normally collected in the curbside recycling program: plastic toys, buckets, milk & soda crates, laundry baskets, lawn furniture, landscape items such as edging, plastic totes, plastic drums (food grade only, no chemical containers), pet carriers, plastic pallets, coolers, shelving, closet organizers, dish drainers, flower pots (no soil), garbage cans, recycling bins, waste baskets, 5 gallon water bottles. All plastic items brought for recycling must be clean and free of any wood, metal, glass, wires or batteries. NO PLASTIC FOOD PACKAGING WILL BE ACCEPTED. Plastic accepted by Waste Management.
• Styrofoam (polystyrene) - All Styrofoam packaging, food trays, coffee cups and packing peanuts will be accepted. Tape, labels and food particles must be removed. Please make sure that all food trays display the recycle symbol displaying the 6 in the triangle with PS below it. No compostable trays or packing peanuts that are not Styrofoam will be accepted. Plastic utensils will also be collected, but must be packaged separately and rinsed.
• Clothing & household items for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State: they accept "gently used" items such as: anything made of cloth - clothing for all ages and genders; and sheets, towels, curtains, blankets, area rugs, table linens, throw pillows, etc. as well as unusable clothing/fabric . Household items - home décor, kitchen items such as plates, glasses, vases, etc . Books, toys, games, stuffed animals, etc. Small appliances and electronics in good working order, such as blenders, mixers, radios, etc. NO car seats, cribs, electronics (computers, TVs, etc), broken items, magazines, newspapers, books without covers, plants, mattresses, water heaters, tires, car parts, lawnmowers, wall-to-wall carpeting, building materials or health care equipment.
• Books for Reading Tree: hardcover, paperback, any age - child or adult, DVDs, VHS tapes. NO magazines, phonebooks, catalogs, or books that have mold or mildew.
• Bicycles/bikes: Bicycles/bikes: working and "salvageable" bicycles will be accepted for recycling. The East Bay Met School refurbishes bicycles. Students learn mechanics & go for bike rides. The bikes are also used in a program that works in conjunction with the Newport Heights Boys and Girls Club. Local children also earn free bikes.
• Plastic bags: must be clean & dry - plastic grocery & shopping bags (any store, drawstring ok); clean & dry produce bags; newspaper sleeves, dry cleaning film, toilet paper & paper towel packaging; bread, bagel & sandwich roll bags. NO plastic food wrap. Tie bags in a knot. If a bag is dirty or wet, tie in a knot and discard in your regular trash. Please compact the bags as much as much as possible and bring multiple bundles of bags in one larger bag. Collected by the East Bay Met School.
• Cooking oil: Newport Biodiesel will be accepting all vegetable cooking oil for recycling, which is turned into biodiesel for vehicles and home heating oil.

This event is NOT the Eco Depot collection for hazardous waste, therefore, items such as paints, fluorescent bulbs and other hazardous waste will NOT be collected at this event. No scrap metal or other items not listed above will be collected.

"Residents really look forward to this event," said Kristin Littlefield, the City of Newport's Clean City Coordinator. "The City of Newport's Spring Recycling Day during the Great American Cleanup is a unique, one-day opportunity for you to come down to Easton's Beach, recycle a variety of items and keep them out of the landfill."

Other services offered at the Spring Recycling Day:

• Buy recycling bins, or exchange an old one: The Clean City Program will also be selling recycling bins to Newport residents at a discounted rate of $5 per pair. This discounted recycling bin price will only be valid during the event to Newport residents on a first come, first served basis. Recycling bins are also available for $5 each at City Hall during normal business hours. Please bring a check for payment and proof of Newport residency. Cash and credit cards will not be accepted.
• Exchange your broken recycling bin: Broken recycling bins may be exchanged for a new one, free of charge. The City of Newport has the right to deny a free bin based on the above criteria. First come, first served.
• Buy a compost bin: the Earth Machine compost bin will be available for just $45 each (retails at over $100). Visit www.earthmachine.com to see the exact bin that will be available for sale. Compost bins are also available for purchase at the Clean City Program office during normal office hours. Please bring a check for payment and proof of Newport residency. Cash and credit cards will not be accepted. First come, first served.
• Free coffee & other goodies: Event attendees may also enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee from Custom House Coffee in Middletown. Attendees are encouraged to bring their reusable coffee mugs. Also, the Clean City Program will be encouraging "Earth Day is everyday" by giving away pens that have the phrase printed on them, as well as other goodies that encourage recycling.

Since 2008, the Spring & Fall Recycling Days have kept 120,000 pounds of material out of the landfill.

NEWPORT'S CLEAN CITY PROGRAM ANNOUNCES EARTH DAY CLEANUP EVENTS

April 2, 2012 - Newport Mayor Stephen Waluk and the Newport Public Services Department's Clean City Program would like to invite Newport area residents to volunteer for one of the 12 litter cleanup events happening for Newport's 2012 Earth Day celebration, which is also part of Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup.

The Clean City Program will be providing gloves, bags, as well as picking up the bags of litter for the cleanups in Newport. T-shirts will also be provided by sponsorship of Waste Management Newport and the Clean City Program. Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation is waiving all disposal fees associated with litter collected during Earth Day cleanups and Waste Management Newport will assist in disposing of the litter.

"We are fortunate that Newport has such dedicated volunteers," said Mayor Stephen Waluk. "The City of Newport is appreciative of any assistance you can provide in keeping our city clean."

Earth Day is Sunday, April 22. A majority of the City of Newport's Earth Day events will take place on Saturday, April 14 and, with such, invites all residents to participate in any of the scheduled cleanups when they might be available to do so. All April 14 cleanups have a rain date of April 21. Interested volunteers may contact the event coordinator directly or the Clean City Program at 845-5613. The Clean City Program is also available to provide assistance to those individuals who may want to start their own neighborhood cleanup as part of Earth Day activities. Become an active part of your community by volunteering at one of the following events:

• Wednesday, April 11 - Katherine Field and Associates along with Ms. Carrellas' and Ms. Magruder's 6th graders from St. Michael's Country Day School invite you to clean up the southern end of Miantonomi Park from 9:45am-12:30pm. Volunteers should meet at the Best Western Inn parking lot, 151 Admiral Kalbfus Rd. Wear long pants, long sleeves, closed toe shoes and bug spray. To volunteer, contact Petra Napolitano at 848-2750 or at pnapolitano@katherinefield.com.
• Thursday, April 12 - The Aquidneck Land Trust and the East Bay Met School invite you to join them from 10am to 12:30pm at Miantonomi Memorial Park and Sunset Hill. Wear long pants, long sleeve shirts, closed toe shoes and bug spray. Contact Sophia DeMaio at 401-849-2799 x 14 or SDeMaio@ailt.org, or Taylor Rock at taylor.rock@metmail.org and 846 -5806.
• Saturday, April 14 - Save The Bay & Pruitt Chiropractic invite you to help clean up Easton's Beach, 175 Memorial Blvd. from 10am-12pm. To volunteer, you must contact Stephany Hessler in advance at shessler@savebay.org or 272-3540 x130. Volunteers should dress for the weather and bring their own work gloves. Please bring your own water bottle, sun, and bug protection. Sturdy closed-toed shoes are required at Save The Bay Cleanups!
• Saturday, April 14 - The Off Broadway Neighborhood Association invites you to join their annual Earth Day festivities. Meet at Equality Park at 9am with tools to mulch Equality Park, or pick up bags & gloves to clean your street. Contact Jack McVicker at 829-1601.
• Saturday, April 14 - The Point Association will meet at both Battery and Storer Parks at 9am. Once gathered, work groups will blanket the Point, cleaning parks, driftways, beach areas, Hunter Park/railroad track area, and east to Arnold Park at the corner of Cross, Bridge, and Upper Thames. Contact Sue Beckers at 849-1814 or suebeckers@cox.net.
• Saturday, April 14 - Friends of the Waterfront invites volunteers to join them in the annual Earth Day Cleanup at King Park from 9am-12pm. Volunteers should meet at the pavilion on King Park at 9am. Contact Jim Perrier at markdatum@verizon.net.
• Saturday, April 14 - Old Colony & Newport Railway and Boy Scout Troop 3 will lead a group of volunteers along the railway where they run scenic, narrated train trips. To volunteer, please contact Chuck Flippo ahead of time at 871-0828.
• Saturday, April 14 - The Newport Run & Chug Club will be cleaning up the downtown area. Volunteers should meet at Panera Bread in Brick Market Place at 9am. To volunteer, contact Jeff Heimiller at 970-391-2761 or at newrunclub@yahoo.com
• Saturday, April 14 - Clean Ocean Access will be cleaning the shoreline areas from Baileys Beach to Ledge Rd. from 12 noon to 2 p.m. This shoreline area includes sandy beach and rocky shores, so please wear sturdy shoes. Meet at the end of Bellevue Ave. at the turnaround. No advance registration is required. Contact Marty Casey at MARTY4599@aol.com.
• Thursday, April 19 - The Naval Health Clinic will be cleaning up Brenton Point State Park. Volunteers should meet at the Naval Health Clinic New England 1 Riggs Road, Newport at 11:45am. To volunteer, contact Bennie, Command Volunteer Coordinator at Naval Station Newport at 401-841-6840 bennie.mitchell@med.navy.mil.
• Saturday, April 21 - The Newport County Saltwater Fishing Club will be cleaning up shoreline fishing access points in Newport & Middletown from 9am-11am. Bring gloves & tick repellent. Volunteers should meet at Salt Water Edge, 47 Valley Rd., Middletown at 9 a.m. Contact Dennis Zambrotta at 849-6121.
• Saturday, April 21 - Friends of Ballard Park will be holding an Earth Day cleanup at 9am, following by a free guided tour of the park at 11am. Volunteers should meet at the quarry meadow off Hazard Rd. at 9am. To volunteer or RSVP for a tour, contact Jessica Lade at 619-3377 or Jessica@ballardpark.org. Volunteers should wear sturdy footwear, as park trails can be muddy.

"Spring is a great time for cleaning and pitching in with the City of Newport's Earth Day Celebration during Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup , the nation's largest cleanup, beautification and community improvement program," said Kristin Littlefield, Newport's Clean City Coordinator. "Everyone is invited to join in with our estimated 300 volunteers and help make Newport a more beautiful place to live."

More than 2.3 million volunteers this year in more than 15,000 communities throughout the U.S. are rallying to participate in cleanup, beautification and community improvement activities. The activities range from removing litter, beautifying a park, renovating/building a playground, collecting clothes for reuse, organizing a recycling or graffiti removal program, joining a river, lake or seashore cleanup, etc.

For more information about the City of Newport's Earth Day celebration, or an updated list of participating groups, contact the Clean City Program at 845-5613.

America's leading companies and brands support the campaign. The National Sponsors of the 2012 Great American Cleanup to date are: The Dow Chemical Company; The Glad Products Company; LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc.; Nestlé® Pure Life® Purified Water; PepsiCo's Pepsi-Cola and Gatorade companies; Solo Cup Company; Troy-Bilt® Lawn and Garden Equipment; Waste Management; and Wrigley. Promotional Partner is: The Miss America Organization. Educational Partners are: Rubber Manufacturers Association and WM Recycle America.