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Waste Reduction
Waste Reduction
Waste Reduction Campaign
Our Commitment
The Town of Austerlitz has launched a comprehensive Waste Reduction Campaign to address our community's waste streams, which represent 12.4% of our greenhouse gas emissions according to our GHG Inventory. This initiative builds upon our existing Climate Smart Community programs while introducing new targeted actions.
"Let's Do Our Part"
Waste reduction is an easy way to support our planet. Recycling and limiting waste don't take a lot of time or effort. Our campaign provides resources and education to help residents make simple changes with significant impact.
Track Your Carbon Footprint: CURE100 App
Our Spring-Summer 2025 waste reduction and climate outreach includes increasing engagement through the CURE100 application - a free carbon emissions tracker for Austerlitz residents.
How CURE100 Works:
Free Download: Available at no cost exclusively for Austerlitz residents
Personal Assessment: Track your household and personal emissions
Visualization: See how you compare to the average Austerlitz household
Reduction Strategies: Discover ways to reduce your carbon footprint
Community Impact: Join your neighbors in making the CURE100 Pledge
Click HERE to download Austerlitz' custom CURE100 app and learn more about tracking your household carbon assessment.
Austerlitz Waste Reduction Campaign Flyer March 2025.pdfCampaign Focus Areas
1. Repair and Reuse
Repair Cafe: Launched March 29th, our Repair Cafe demonstrates practical skills for furniture, appliance, electronics, and textile repair
Free Stores: Community-based free stores throughout Columbia County where you can shop for or donate gently loved items
New Lebanon Community Center: https://townofnewlebanon.com
Chatham Town Hall: https://www.chathamnewyork.us/free_store
Philmont: https://philmont.org/free-store/
Buy Nothing Groups: Join or start a local group to donate, lend, and share items
Find your local group: https://buynothingproject.org
Right to Repair: Learn about the movement at https://www.repair.org
2. Waste Management Resources
E-Waste Collection: July 2025 electronic waste and battery collection event at Town Hall
Battery Recycling: Keep heavy metals and toxic chemicals out of landfills while allowing materials to be reused
Plastic Bag Recycling: Drop off clean bags at many local stores including Price Chopper, Walgreens, Hannaford, and CVS
Terracycle for hard-to-recycle items
3. Organic Waste Diversion
Home Composting: Easy and productive for gardens and landscaping
Local Options: Information about transfer station options and local pickup services
Resources: Grow Amsterdam initiatives and Cornell Cooperative Extension guides
Additional Local Resources
Zero Waste Columbia's BYO: A great effort to remind people to bring their own containers https://www.zerowastecolumbia.org/news
Greenagers: Engaging teens in environmental conservation https://greenagers.org
The O Zone: Local bulk-selling shop with recycling program https://theozonehv.com
Online Communities:
Local Generosity Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1482686458972034
Nextdoor: https://nextdoor.com
Implementation Strategy
Coordinated marketing through town newsletter, website, social media, and strategically placed flyers
Targeted educational materials with QR codes linking to key resources
Community-based demonstrations at existing town events
Collaboration with established regional resources
Our Comprehensive Approach
This waste reduction campaign connects to our broader climate action goals by addressing multiple environmental challenges simultaneously:
Emissions Reduction: Targeting the 12.4% of emissions from solid waste in our GHG Inventory
Resource Conservation: Extending product lifecycles through repair and reuse
Community Engagement: Building climate awareness through hands-on activities
Data-Driven Action: Using CURE100 app data to track collective progress
Measuring Success
We track campaign success through repair cafe attendance, e-waste collection volume, resident engagement with educational materials, and CURE100 app downloads. Our comprehensive approach provides residents with actionable local solutions that connect to our broader climate action goals and GHG reduction targets.
For more information or to get involved, contact the Climate Committee at [contact information] or visit https://austerlitzclimateaction.org
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