A hub for business activity and New Hampshire’s largest city, Manchester (pop. 109,565) has unveiled a single-stream recycling program that far bigger cities are still struggling to emulate. In recent years, the city has only had a 10% recycling rate, but with a flashy new single-stream system, it is aiming to recycle approximately 10,000 tons of material out of its waste stream annually to reach a recycling rate of 25%.

With its new program, the city has introduced microchipped blue recycling carts (and the tagline, “Being Green Starts with Blue”) that range in sizes from 35 gallons to 95 gallons depending on the dwelling. This microchipping system allows the city to keep track of its carts, ultimately saving money in the long run. Residents looking to start recycling simply need to sign up online for a free recycling cart. The city will then contact the resident to schedule cart delivery.

Materials recycled

Paper
Including cardboard, cereal boxes, egg cartons, folders, junk mail, magazines, milk cartons, newsprint, office paper, paper towel rolls, phone books, shoe boxes and soft-cover boxes. All paper can be placed in the bin loose but must be clean (no food residue, etc.).

Plastics
All plastic containers marked #1 through #7 are acceptable, including beverage/food, detergent, pails and oil/antifreeze (drained and clean). All plastics must be clearly marked with their number and can be placed loosely in the bin, but must be clean. No plastic bags or Styrofoam accepted.

Metals
Steel or aluminum food and beverage containers are acceptable, including deposit/nondeposit beverage cans, metal food cans, aluminum foil and metal lids. Metals can be placed loosely in the cart, but they must be clean. Labels are OK.

Glass
All clear and colored glass; food and beverage containers, including juice, all food and sauce jars, liquor and wine bottles and condiment containers are accepted (must be rinsed; labels OK).

Frequency

Curbside pick-up occurs on a weekly basis, same day as trash pick-up (a collection map is available online). Carts must be spaced 3 feet from any obstructions.

Other programs

Manchester’s drop-off recycling facility (500 Dunbarton Rd.) recycles most types of recyclables, including e-waste and other difficult-to-recycle objects. Most materials are recycled free of charge for Manchester residents or those with a business in the city. Hours are Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the first and third Saturday of the month, from 7 to 11:30 a.m.

Yard waste is collected periodically throughout the year to be made into compost. Acceptable items include leaves, grass clippings, weeds, hedge trimmings, garden wastes, twigs and brush no larger than 3 inches in diameter and 3 feet in length. These materials must be placed in a 33-gallon or smaller container that clearly displays the city’s Official Yard Waste sticker. Containers may not exceed 75 pounds. Depending on the season, yard waste pick-up can occur weekly or biweekly. The city does not collect yard waste from December through March (with the exception of Christmas trees in January). A full yearly schedule is located online. Yard waste must be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on recycling and trash pick-up day.

More information

Visit the City of Manchester Single Stream Recycling website for more recycling program info.

As the capital of California and the core of the Sacramento Valley, Sacramento (pop. 470,956) is one of the West’s most influential cities, and as such, recycling has seen a growing presence in this political hub in north-central California. Sacramento’s Department of Utilities Solid Waste Services provides single-stream recycling collection service to more than 124,000 households — spanning virtually the entire limits of the city.

Upon pick-up, recyclables are taken to a sorting facility in Sacramento, where they are categorized and shipped to markets that produce products made from recycled content. Recently, the city has sought to incentivize recycling by asking residents to take the City of Sacramento Recycling Pledge. Pledge members are eligible to win a Nintendo Wii console (as of time of publication).

Materials recycled

Paper
Including cardboard (broken down and placed in the recycling bin), boxboard (e.g., shoeboxes, tissue boxes and cereal boxes), newspaper, magazines, catalogs, glossy paper, paper bags, paper packaging, egg cartons, junk mail, phone books and soft-cover books, envelopes (labels or windows OK), office paper (all colors), shredded paper (OK only in clear bags).

Plastics
Including plastics numbered 1 through 7, all CRV containers, bottles and jugs (lids/caps removed; rinsed and emptied), tubs and containers (e.g., yogurt, margarine), plastic bags (stuff several bags inside each other), buckets, pales, crates, toys (e.g., plastic tricycles), clamshell trays and deli containers, plant pots (no ceramic) and laundry baskets. No Styrofoam accepted.

Metals
Including aluminum cans, tin and steel cans, clean aluminum pans and foil, empty aerosol cans, small scrap, pots, pans, utensils and loose lids from jars.

Glass
Clear and colored bottles and jars (rinsed; no lids or plastic rings; labels OK)

Frequency

Curbside pick-up occurs on a weekly basis, day of the week depending on location (a pick-up day finder is available online.) Bins must be placed curbside by 6 a.m. on day of pick-up. Containers must be at least half-full to be placed curbside. They must be spaced 3 feet from each other, and 6 feet from cars, utility poles, mailboxes, boats and other obstructions.

Other programs

Sacramento’s yard waste collection program, which offers eight annual pick-up days spread throughout the seasons, is utilized by more than 100,000 residents. The city accepts leaves, grass trimmings, tree and shrub prunings, Christmas trees and sod (dirt removed). Yard waste must be put in an approved 96-gallon bin and placed curbside on collection day. Due to large seasonal demand, collection can fall behind schedule. An annual collection calendar can be found online.

Per California state law, medical sharps can be returned anywhere they are obtained within the state for proper disposal. Sharps users can also mail back used sharps by sending to services approved by the California Department of Health, or they can drop sharps off at regional household hazardous waste facilities (more information below).

Used motor oil can be properly disposed of on an appointment-only basis by contacting the City of Sacramento at 916.264.5011. Motor oil can also be taken to an HHW facility for safe disposal.

A number of convenient battery and fluorescent lamp drop-off locations are scattered around Sacramento. Door-to-door collection by appointment is also a popular alternative.

Sacramento residents can utilize local HHW facilities for those hard-to-recycle household items. The Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station is located at 8491 Fruitridge Rd. The facility accepts antifreeze, batteries, used motor oil and filters and paint on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, the above items are accepted, as well as a host of others (including some e-waste items), from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fees, guidelines and penalties do apply. The County of Sacramento’s North Area Recovery Station, at 4450 Roseville Rd., also accepts HHW materials.

More information

Visit the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities website for more recycling program info.

Grand Rapids’ (pop. 188,040) recycling program is on the way up, in more ways than one. Introducing single-stream recycling in 2010 is only a step up on the ladder toward a more sustainable future for western Michigan’s largest city. The city’s green goals include a 30% waste diversion rate by June 30, 2013; 5% reduced mileage on refuse and recycling routes by June 30, 2015; and mobile phone reporting of illegal waste dumps via the GR311 app for iPhone and Android operating systems.

Grand Rapids residents can actually choose the size of their recycling bin to best suit their waste needs — sizes range from 35, 64 or 96 gallons. The carts are also fairly unique looking — two-tone with yellow lids and blue bases, they are made of 40% recycled plastic. Not bad!

Materials recycled

Paper
Including newspapers (inserts accepted); typing, writing, and computer paper; junk mail, envelopes, fliers; magazines and catalogs; telephone books, brown paper bags; shoe boxes, cracker boxes and cereal boxes (paperboard); corrugated cardboard and shredded paper. Shredded paper must be placed in brown paper bags. All cardboard must be broken down to no larger than 2×2 size. All paper must fit in the bin. No staples, wrapping, strapping or plastic liners of any kind accepted.

Plastics
Including milk jugs; water, detergent and shampoo bottles; butter tubs; yogurt cups; microwave food trays; plant flats & flower pots; peanut butter jars and other plastic containers that are stamped number 1 through 7 (must be rinsed; no lids or plastic rings). Plastic bags labeled #2 or #4 accepted as well (must be clean and free of any items inside). No Styrofoam accepted.

Metals
Including tin, aluminum or steel food and beverage containers; aluminum foil; and empty aerosol cans (all must be rinsed and without paper labels).

Glass
Clear and colored food and beverage glass containers (rinsed; no lids or plastic rings)

Frequency

Curbside pick-up occurs on a biweekly basis, day of the week depending on location (a map and schedule is available online.) Bins must be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on day of pick-up.

Other programs

Kent County, which includes Grand Rapids, operates four locations for weekday drop-off of household hazardous waste by appointment. Periodically, drop-off is available on designated Saturdays without an appointment (schedule available here). One county location is in Grand Rapids proper at 1500 Scribner Ave. NW. The others are located in nearby Kentwood, Rockford and Wyoming. The HHW program accepts automotive products, cleaning products, indoor pesticides, lawn and garden products, workshop/painting supplies, flammable products and other miscellaneous items. A full list of accepted items can be found online.

Yard waste, including grass clippings, leaves, brush, twigs less than 2 inches in diameter and garden plants, is collected from the first Monday in April and runs until the second Friday in December every year. Grand Rapids residents can purchase a 96-gallon yard waste cart for $27.50. A supplementary cart tag ($5.25) is needed each time the cart is to be collected. Tagged yard waste carts must be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on the same day as refuse pick-up. Alternatively, residents can use the city yard waste paper bag ($7.50 for a package of five). Bags also must be tagged ($1.50) each time they are to be picked up.

More information

Visit the City of Grand Rapids Recycling and Refuse website for more recycling program info.

The nation’s capital (pop. 617,996) is always on the front page of the newspaper and the top of the news broadcast, so it’s only fitting that “The District” has a topnotch recycling program for other U.S. cities to model after. Washington’s residential recycling collection offers curbside pickup of an extensive selection of recyclables, including many hard-to-recycle items that other cities simply cannot pick up.

Washington’s Department of Public Works offers free single-stream residential recycling pickup in 32-gallon cans for all single-family dwellings in the district, as well as small residential buildings with up to three units.

Materials recycled

Paper
Including books (paperbacks, textbooks and hardbacks), brown paper bags (Kraft), cardboard and paperboard boxes (including cereal boxes without liners), computer printouts, corrugated cardboard boxes, junk mail, magazines and catalogs, milk and juice cartons, newspapers (all inserts accepted), nonmetallic wrapping paper, office paper (including typing, fax, copy, letterhead and NCR) and envelopes.

Plastics
Including narrow-neck plastic containers (other than those used for motor oil) that carry plastic resin identification codes 1 through 7, plastic bags (placed into one plastic bag then placed in your recycling container; more than one bag full of bags OK),  plastic milk/soda crates, plastic buckets with metal handles, plastic laundry baskets, plastic lawn furniture, plastic totes, plastic drums, plastic coolers, plastic flower pots, plastic drinking cups/glasses, plastic 5-gallon water bottles, plastic pallets, plastic toys, empty plastic garbage and recycling bins, wide-mouth containers (label removed) and over-the-counter medicine bottles. (lids and caps OK). No Styrofoam accepted.

Metals
Including aerosol cans, aluminum foil and aluminum pie pans, aluminum food and beverage containers, ferrous and bimetal food and beverage containers.

Glass
Glass containers such as jars and bottles

Frequency

Curbside pick-up occurs on a weekly basis, day of the week depending on location (an address look-up is available online.)

Other programs

The district offers household hazardous waste, e-waste and shredded document drop-off at the Fort Trodden Transfer Station (4900 John F. McCormack Rd. NE). Hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month and 1 to 5 p.m. on the first Thursday preceding the first Saturday of the month.

Household hazardous waste items accepted: acids, aerosols, antifreeze, asbestos tile, batteries, cleaning chemicals, drain openers, fluorescent light bulbs, furniture stripper, stains, varnish, fertilizer, lighter fluid, mercury thermometers and mercury-containing devices, moth balls, motor oil, paint, pesticides and poisons, roofing tar, solvents/thinners, transmission fluids, windshield wiper and brake fluids and wood preservatives.

Electronics that are recyclable at Fort Trodden include: audio/visual equipment, audio cassettes, camcorders, CD-ROM drives, CDs and DVDs, cell phones, computers and monitors, connectors/cords/wires, copy machines, fax machines, floppy drives and hard drives, memory chips, network cards, video cards, sound cards, pagers, power supplies, printers, scrap computer plastic, scrap computer metal, tape drives, TVs, VCRs, VCR tapes and video games and software.

More information

Visit the District of Columbia Department of Public Works website for more recycling program info.

Charlotte’s (pop. 731,424) Recycle It! curbside recycling initiative is a growing program that utilizes 96-gallon carts in a single-stream system. North Carolina state law declares that plastic items numbered 1 and 2 must be recycled, and as such, recycling in the Queen City has steadily picked up. Recycle It! accepts a broad number of items, making it easy for Charlotteans to get involved. Residents can call 311 to obtain a recycling cart, while a second cart may be purchased for $40 if needed.

Materials recycled

Paper (included corrugated cardboard cut into pieces no larger than 3×3 feet), plastics #1-5 and #7, aluminum, glass, juice boxes, milk and juice cartons, aerosol cans (empty), spiral paper cans, steel and tin cans

Frequency

Curbside pick-up occurs on a weekly basis, day of the week depending on location (a collection map is available online.) Bins must be placed curbside by 6:30 a.m. on the day of pick-up, but no earlier than the day before pick-up. Carts must be within 2 feet from the curb and at least 3 feet from garbage bins, bulk waste bundles, yard waste bundles, vehicles, mailboxes and poles/hydrants. Carts must be returned to property by midnight following pick-up, or the owner is subject to a $50 fine.

Other programs

The city collects yard waste on regularly scheduled pick-up days to be converted into mulch or compost. Items must be placed in uncovered containers 32 gallons or smaller and less than 75 pounds. Accepted items: grass clippings (placed in a plastic bag), leaves (placed in a plastic bag), tree limbs, logs, plants, pruning, shrubbery, tree trimmings, weeds and other similar items. Limbs and brush must be no longer than 5 feet and less than 4 inches in diameter.

Mecklenburg County (where Charlotte sits) maintains four hazardous waste drop-off sites for residents’ convenience. Accepted items: paint thinner, paints, stripper, solvents, flammable oils, gas, kerosene, pesticides, cleaning agents, household batteries (both alkaline and nickel-cadmium) lead acid batteries, photographic chemicals, aerosol cans, fluorescent light bulbs, pool chemicals and unknown chemicals. All items must be securely stored in original container and clearly labeled. They cannot be mixed. Locations: North Mecklenburg Recycling Center (12300 N. Statesville Rd.; Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Hickory Grove Recycling Center (8007 Pence Rd.; Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Foxhole Recycling Center (17131 Lancaster Hwy.; from 7 a.m. to  4 p.m.) and West Mecklenburg Recycling Center (8440 Byrum Dr.; Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

More information

Visit the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Garbage and Recycling website for more recycling program info.

Canada’s capital city, and the Ontario province’s second largest, Ottawa (pop. 883,391) diverts nearly 50% of all collected waste from the landfill. In fact, the city has astonishingly high recycling rates for certain materials — rates that nearly any U.S. city would be jealous of: In 2010, Ottawans recycled 92% of all cardboard, 90% of newspapers, 73% of aluminum cans and 70% of steel and tin cans. Still, much work is left to be done. The city would like to see those overall recycling numbers soar above 50%, and it has established partnerships with nearly 500 area retailers to reuse or sell recyclables in hopes of incentivizing recycling even further.

Materials recycled

Recyclables must be placed in one of two color-coordinated boxes — blue or black. Boxes cannot weigh more than 15 kg (about 33 pounds) when placed curbside. Items accepted in each box are listed below. Organic waste, which is made into compost, is collected in a separate green bin (more information below).

Blue box

• Glass bottles and jars
• Metal cans
• Soft drink cans
• Aluminum containers
• Aluminum foil
• Paint cans (lids removed)
• Aerosol cans (empty)
• Spiral-wound canisters with metal ends (e.g., Pringles cans)
• Plastic bottles, jars and jugs
• Plastic tubs and lids
• All food and household plastic containers (#1 through #7)
• Plastic pails (no metal handles)
• Plastic planting trays
• Plastic flower pots
• Single-serve yogurt containers
• Clear plastic egg cartons
• Milk and juice cartons
• TetraPak cartons
• Drink, soup and milk boxes

Frequency

Curbside pick-up occurs on a weekly basis, day of the week depending on location (an address lookup is available online.) Bins must be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on the day of pick-up, but not before 6 p.m. the day prior.

Other programs

Green bins, used for organic waste composting, are collected on a weekly basis as well. An astounding number of items are accepted in these bins, including food scraps, yard waste and other household items:

• Baking ingredients, herbs and spices
• Bread, cereals, crackers and grains
• Candy and gum
• Chips, popcorn and nuts
• Coffee grounds and filters
• Cookies, cakes, muffins and pastries
• Dairy products (cheese, sour cream)
• Dough
• Eggs and egg shells
• Fruits and vegetables
• Jams, jellies, marmalades or chutney
• Leftover cooking oils, lard, shortening, fat, butter and margarine
• Meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, bones and scraps
• Nuts and shells
• Pasta, beans, rice and couscous
• Peanut butter
• Pet food
• Pits (all types)
• Salad dressing, mayonnaise, vinegar, sauces, marinades, dips and gravy
• Seeds
• Tea and tea bags
• Branches, twigs and hedge trimmings
• Leaves
• Plants and weeds
• Grass clippings
• Animal bedding (e.g., bird and hamster cages)
• Barbeque ashes
• Butcher’s meat wrap
• Cold fireplace ash
• Cotton balls
• Dryer lint
• Floor sweepings, vacuum bags and vacuum contents
• Food-soiled paper towels, napkins and tissues
• Food-soiled pizza boxes (pizza boxes should not go in black bin)
• Household plants, including soil
• Kitty litter
• Microwave popcorn bags
• Paper coffee cups, plates and muffin wrappers
• Pet fur, hair and feathers
• Soiled paper, boxboard and cardboard
• Sugar, flour and potato paper bags
• Waxed paper, cardboard and cold drink cups
• Wooden popsicle sticks and toothpicks
• Wood chips, sawdust and untreated wood scraps (less than 4 inches in any dimension)

Large loads of residential leaf and yard waste can be dropped off at the Trail Waste Facility at 4475 Trail Rd. (open Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) free of charge. Homes in rural areas and farms receive yard waste pickup twice in the spring and twice in the fall.

More information

Visit the City of Ottawa Recycling website for more recycling program info.

Where: 

When:  Tuesday, April 24, 2012, from noon to 1:35 p.m.

What: Best Buy is hosting an e-waste summit — an intimate roundtable discussion moderated by Joel Makower, creator and executive editor of GreenBiz. Additional attendees will include industry leaders, NGO partners and lawmakers, including representatives from CEA, ERI and the Northwest Recycling Council. Topics will cover general issues facing the e-waste industry and challenges facing consumer education regarding electronics recycling.

Run of show

• Noon to 12:15 p.m.: Attendees arrive, lunch begins and Introduction by Leo Raudys and Joel Makower
• 12:15 to 12:20 p.m.: Presentation by Leo Raudys, Senior Director Environmental Sustainability, Best Buy
• 12:20 to 12:30 p.m.: Discussion
• 12:30 to 12:35 p.m.: Presentation by John Shegarian, President and CEO, ERI
• 12:35 to 12:45 p.m.: Discussion
• 12:45 to 12:50 p.m.: Presentation by Chris Librie Director, Environmental Initiatives, HP
• 12:50 to 1 p.m.: Discussion
• 1 to 1:05 p.m.: Presentation by Lynn Rubenstein, Executive Director, Northeast Recycling Council
• 1:05 to 1:15 p.m.: Discussion
• 1:15 to 1:20 p.m.: Presentation by Mike Watson, Takeback and Recycling, Dell
• 1:20 to 1:30 p.m.: Discussion
• 1:30 to 1:35 p.m.: Closing remarks and next steps

More information: Contact Katie Hays | Edelman | CSR & Sustainability | +1 206-664-7807 (office) | +1 206-412-5270 (mobile) | katie.hays@edelman.com

Where:

When: Sunday, April 22, 2012, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

What: The third-largest Earth Day celebration in the U.S. combines a festival, symposium, recycling extravaganza and greening workshop into an all-out eco-friendly blitz. The 23rd annual festival, which is free to all attendees, will feature more than 200 artists, educational exhibitors, food vendors, businesses and organizations sharing how ordinary people can do extraordinary green things. The recycling extravaganza is billed a spring cleaning day of sorts for hard-to-recycle items from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the 22nd at the St. Louis Community College Forest Park campus parking lot, off Oakland Avenue. Only those items on the official list will be accepted.

More information: stlouisearthday.org

When: Saturday, April 21, 2012 and Sunday, April 22, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

What: A free and extensive exhibit and festival that will bring together 75,000 to celebrate sustainability in north Texas. More than 600 exhibitors will be on hand, covering 600,000 square feet at Dallas’ centrally located Fair Park. Central to the festival is the Eco Expo, and exhibitors will use their presence to promote their achievements as green leaders, and teach attendees how to take environmentally responsible action by better utilizing available resources, switching to eco-friendly products or joining their organizations.

In addition to the Eco Expo, attendees will have a number of educational entertainment options, which will include:

• Green Talk Speaker Series with topics including water, global warming and the future sustainability of North Texas
• Artfully Green Film Series
• Family Zone featuring Radio Disney and hands-on environmental activities
• University Row with over 20 universities and colleges
• Live music at the Band Shell featuring Amos Lee
• Home & Garden Workshop corner demonstrating composting, rainwater harvesting, and green money-saving tips
• Earth Yoga
• Picnic for the Planet: Help break the world’s record for the largest, simultaneous global picnic!
• DFW Truck Farm 5K Fun Run
• Live BMX shows
• Dallas Urban Debate Alliance environmental, student debates
• Dance Performances

More information: earthdaydallas.org

Where:

When: Thursday, April 19, 2012 through Saturday, April 21, 2012

What: A three-day celebration of earth-friendly exhibits and entertainment spread over two of New York City’s most iconic destinations.

at Grand Central Indoors (Vanderbilt Hall)

• Thursday, April 19
• Exhibits from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Earth Day press conference at noon
• Music from Ecole International de New York and Michael Dustin at 1 p.m.
• Artist Erwin Dazelle hosts an art activity for youth at 2 p.m.
• Tristan & Tyler’s Tales From The City! at 3 p.m.
• Broadway performances: Sistas and Gazillion Bubbles Show at 4:30 p.m.
• The Children’s Acting Company of NYC: Songs from Glee and Dear Edwina at 5:30 p.m.
• Friday, April 20
• Exhibits from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Toshiba Student Panel hosted by Mario Armstrong followed by a STEM Education Panel moderated by Robin Raskin at 10:15 a.m.
• Mario Armstrong’s “Dream, Create, GO” Road Show at 12:15 p.m.
• Children’s activities from 3D Systems, activity from Peter and The Star Catcher, live performance from WICKED at 1:30 p.m.
• Saturday, April 21
• Exhibits from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Earth Day stories with Barefoot Books at 11:30 a.m.
• Earth Worm Disco with ShirLaLa at 12:30 p.m.
• MS88 musical performance and presentations at 1:30 p.m.
• Food & Nutrition panel with Earth Day New York, Anvil Knitwear, Slow Food New York and Rouge Tomate at 2:30 p.m.

at Grand Central Outdoors (Vanderbilt Avenue)

• Friday, April 20: Exhibits from noon to 7 p.m.
• Saturday, April 21
• Exhibits from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Concert featuring performances from Nightmare River Band, Conveyor, Annie and the Bee Keepers, FlyinFisch, The Whispering Tree, Push Method, Kinetics & One Love

at Times Square (Broadway at West 42nd through West 44th streets)

• Friday, April 19
• Exhibits from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• CO2 E Drive & Green Vehicle Fashion Show at 11 a.m.
• Broadway musical performances from Voca, Sistas The Musical, My Sinatra. Live music from Sami the Great, Alec Gross, Amber Rubarth, Melissa Wrolstad, Lisa Jaeggi at 12:30 p.m.

More information: earthdayny.org

Where: Oak Hill, TN

When: Wednesday, May 30, 2012

What: In observance of Earth Day, the City of Oak Hill, TN, is encouraging residents to sign up for its newest recycling initiative in May to divert more waste from landfills. The program, Recycle First, Trash Last, run by Earth Savers, has achieved tremendous success, recycling more than 400 tons by the end of its first year. That has decreased the amount of waste that goes into the landfill by 21.91 percent. Beginning in May, the City of Oak Hill will become the first city in Tennessee to implement a citywide residential composting collection program. Earth Savers will pick up table scraps, spoiled food, fruit and vegetable peels and cores, coffee grounds and meat waste. Food-contaminated paper such as pizza boxes and paper towels can be composted as well. On May 30, the City of Oak Hill Spring Clean Recycling Event will provide an opportunity for residents to safely recycle batteries, light bulbs, mattresses, box springs, electronics, carpeting, appliances and more. Residents can sign up between now and May 18 to participate in the program, and if it’s successful, city officials hope it will become a regular event. To learn how to participate, go to EarthSavers.org/OakHill and click “Spring Clean Collection.”

More info: EarthSavers.org/OakHill

When: Sunday, April 22, 2012, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

What: A crowd of 6,000 is expected at this free celebration in downtown Sacramento. Expect a Sunday filled with diverse business, nonprofit, cultural and government vendors with practical information, goods and services for saving money, living healthier and protecting the environment. Entertainment, family activities and a variety of cuisines will also be on display.

More info: SacramentoEarthDay.net