So many carts before so many horses

Okay, here we go!

I have already turned down 2 lucrative jobs to take the entire month of May off to bust my ass and get this thing done.

I have signed up to sell donations May 25th at Brooklyn Flea.

I have a meeting early May at the Mayor's Office of Film and Television.

I am attending the New York Women in Film and Television party May 14th to rub elbows and connections and hand out business cards - that I don't have. (see below)

I have booked a fund raiser featuring the Allen Oldies Band for August 23rd at South Paw - NOTE: this is going to be bad ASS - including celebrity BINGO. NOT to be missed.



Here's what I have not done:

Finished my Green Grant Proposal - it's sooooo much. I have like 80 pages to go!
Secured sponsorship for the fundraiser - I need like 6,000 dollars!
Asked my Production friends for donations
Built a proper website (this is what the Flea Market will fund)
logo is not complete
no business cards, letter head - nada.

BUT......we're going to do it and get all our ducks in a row this month. EVERYONE We've talked to is excited and wants to help. The next few weeks are going to be very exciting. Stay Tuned!

Silver Cup East is recycling cans and bottles!

Yeah! Well, at least the bins were out for us to throw cans and bottles away. I'm not sure what Silver Cup Studio's carting company (who you HAVE to use) does with it, though. It is a law for carting companies to recycle. So, for the sake of my long time pals at Silver Cup I hope so, because when I have my way it will be strictly enforced.

One of my missions to see what happens to this trash after it leaves, see the certification, etc. My TO DO list is VERY long however.

From Wastele$$ website:

COMMERCIAL RECYCLING LAW: LOCAL LAW 87 (1992)

Businesses and buildings that contract directly with a private carter or recycler are mandated to recycle under NYC’s Local Law 87 enacted in 1992. See NYC's Commercial Recycling Regulations.

For a summary of commercial recycling regulations, download a copy of Recycling: It’s Not a Choice, It’s the Law — A Handbook for NYC Businesses. To order hard copies, use the literature/decal request form on the Sanitation website or call 311. ALSO SEE recycling in the private sector.

The NYC Department of Sanitation's Digest of Codes summarizes sanitation and recycling regulations and violation codes affecting businesses and residences.

5,296,760 cans and bottles in 2007

Water Bottles and Soda Cans

Overall, the average energy cost to make the plastic, fill the bottle, transport it to market and then deal with the waste would be "like filling up a quarter of every bottle with oil." (Peter Gleick, an expert on water policy and director at the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California.

All in all, we estimate 5,296,760 bottles and cans went unrecycled in 2007 as a result of Filmmaking in New York City. As this great city increases it’s production days, so increases the taken landfill space, ozone damage and drain on the environment.

Silvercup Studios has 19 stages and they are generally at 80% capacity. Less holidays and weekends that’s 3,815 days of production per year. On average, there are 35 people on a stage at one given time. The general rule for buying beverages for crew is 4 beverages per person per day. That comes to 534,100 cans and bottles that gets tossed in the regular garbage JUST at Silver Cup alone!

Now let’s add in Steiner Studios (5 stages), Kaufmann Astoria (6 stages), Broadway Stages (16 ) supposing that they are at 80% capacity, that’s an additional 27 stages. Same formula applied , that’s 758,940 bottles and cans that go unrecycled.

The Mayor’s Office reports 28,598 location days in 2007 (Are you ready for this) Using the same formula as above that’s 4,003,720 water bottles and soda cans that are probably not recycled. It’s too easy to toss into the regular garbage, it’s not regulated, expendables companies don’t rent recycling cans and the stages don’t have them.

All in all, we estimate 5,296,760 bottles and cans go unrecycled last year. As this great city increases it’s production days, so does the refuse. We can make it stop.

For one, we have gently remind the Stages that The Digest of Sanitation Codes mandates “all businesses must separate recyclable material from regular trash. Businesses must contract with a a private carter or recycler for collection of separated recyclable material.”