Press Releases
SCHOOL RECYCLING GETS A BOOST! Every Classroom in All Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island Public Schools Receives a Paper Recycling Bin thanks to Pratt Industries
October 27, 2011
Today, Pratt Industries and GrowNYC announced a donation of 40,000 brand new paper recycling bins donated by Pratt Industries for all 700 NYC public school buildings in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island – one for every classroom. The bins are part of GrowNYC’s Recycling Champions program, which to-date has helped 17 schools establish lasting, school-wide recycling programs.
Greenmarket Responds to Damage Caused by Tropical Storm Irene
September 2, 2011
As the flood waters begin to recede from the fields upstate, we will learn about the full extent of the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene in the days and weeks to come. The Black Dirt region is still flooded, Sullivan County and Ulster County have seen significant damage, and there are parts of Greene County that no longer exist.
Citywide School Gardens Initiative Connects Eating and Health in the Garden
June 16, 2011
Today, nonprofit GrowNYC and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City—co-founders of Grow to Learn: Citywide School Gardens Initiative—were joined by Deputy NYC Parks Commissioner Larry Scott Blackmon, Chef Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern and staff and families at PS 154 in Windsor Terrace to highlight the critical nutrition lessons gardens provide and kick-off a week-long promo, "Dining Out for School Gardens."
GrowNYC Helps New Yorkers Lose 1,000,000 Pounds
April 13, 2011
Each year, the average New Yorker throws nearly 50 pounds of textiles such as old clothing, towels and shoes in the household trash. That adds up to almost 360 million pounds each year citywide. GrowNYC is providing a solution for New Yorkers to reduce that waste: weekly textile recycling collections at 8 of its year-round Greenmarkets have prevented 1,000,000 lbs and counting from hitting area landfills.
New Yorkers Turn Spoils into Soil, Reducing City Waste
March 3, 2011
Today, New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and non-profit GrowNYC, joined by Ron Bergamini of Action Carting, announce the launch of a pilot program to provide composting services to NYC residents at 6 new Greenmarket locations. Responding to an increasing demand for more drop-off locations, shoppers can now drop off fruit and vegetable scraps at a total of 10 GrowNYC Greenmarkets where they will be transported to a compost facility and turned into fertile soil amendment for local farming projects and other uses.
Winter Stop ‘N’ Swaps Offer Cure for Post-Holiday Clutter
January 3, 2011
As 2011 begins, so does the annual ritual of cleaning out the old and beginning anew. Familiar resolutions of being more organized and having a smaller environmental footprint raise the same question: what to do with all this "stuff"? GrowNYC offers one solution with Stop ‘N’ Swap events spanning the five boroughs in January and February.
Bronx Joins Million Pound Challenge
November 9, 2010
The Bronx is the latest borough to join GrowNYC’s Million Pound Challenge, which calls on New Yorkers to bring unwanted or worn out garments to one of 8 weekly drop-off sites. Instead of going to waste, materials are sorted and redistributed to secondhand clothing markets, rag makers and fiber recyclers.
GrowNYC Hosts New Green City
September 29, 2010
GrowNYC hosted New Green City, New York City’s largest annual environmental community fair today, welcoming more than 100,000 visitors to Union Square Park alongside their iconic Union Square Greenmarket.
Green Teens Design for the Future
June 2, 2010
As demand for alternative energy increases, more than 25 city teenagers demonstrated the power of renewable energy yesterday at GrowNYC’s Union Square Greenmarket.
Mayor Bloomberg and TV Personality Rachael Ray Announce New Programs to Promote Healthy Eating
May 20, 2010
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Rachael Ray today announced a series of initiatives to help our City’s youth eat healthier and understand where their food comes from.
Recycling Goes Beyond Curbside: Residents Get Free Treasures in Tough Economy at Stop 'N' Swaps
March 25, 2010
Spring Cleaning. Treasure Hunting. Community. These are just a few terms that describe the spirit of free Stop ‘N’ Swap, organized by GrowNYC, which are growing in popularity for New Yorkers looking to get great items at no cost.
NYC & Upstate Teens Lead Discussion on Key Watershed Issues
March 16, 2010
30 high school students from downstate and upstate came together at the Ashokan Center, a nature and arts center, with environmental experts to talk about issues facing New York City’s watersheds.
More Low Income New Yorkers Accessing Healthy Foods
November 22, 2009
City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, GrowNYC Executive Director Marcel Van Ooyen, New York City Coalition Against Hunger Executive Director Joel Berg, GrowNYC EBT Coordinator Alexis Stevens, and local farmers Ana Angel and Martin Rodriguez today released a report highlighting a dramatic increase in the use of food stamps at the city’s Greenmarkets.