Patchogue Village officials and others headed to Shorefront Park in Patchogue on Tuesday to help mark the arrival of 40 brand-new recycling bins to village parks and Mascot Dock.
The bins came free of charge through a Keep America Beautiful grant sponsored by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group.
About 300 government agencies applied for the grant; only a few were chosen.
“I don’t think in all of the village’s existence we’ve ever had a recycling program down at the park, where we do so much activity for larger and larger crowds, especially on Friday or Saturday nights for the summer concert series,” said Trustee Joseph Keyes, the village Commissioner of Parks & Recreation and Village Board liaison to the PEP (Protecting the Environment in Patchogue) committee.
The PEP committee spearheaded the move to apply for the competitive grant.
The bins will be emptied every Wednesday morning, with St. Joseph’s College students in Patchogue monitoring their use.
Adrienne Esposito, the executive director of the Citizens Campaign for our Environment advocacy group, said it’s especially important that a shorefront community take a lead when it comes to environmental efforts.
“Recycling our cans and bottles saves money, saves the environment, and saves the marine environment as well,” said Esposito, also a village resident. “Every bottle we recycle is one less that could end up in the water, in the bay, killing dolphins, whales and other marine species.”
“We have a responsibility here, as people who live by the water, to take care of that marine environment and put in the extra effort to recycle our bottles and cans,” she added.
Keyes said he would like to one day see recycling stations added along Main Street, though making a decision on such an effort would come down to what it would cost village taxpayers to implement and manage.
Top (L-R): Village Clerk Patricia Seal, chairperson of the PEP committee, Trustee Joseph Keyes, Mayor Paul Pontieri and David Kennedy, executive director of the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce, with two new recycling bins Tuesday in Shorefront Park. (Michael White)
