Scott Etkin
In 1972, two years after the first Earth Day, the organization upper west side recycling (UWSR) was established at 105th Street and Riverside Drive to collect bottles and cans so that these materials can be recycled rather than sent to landfills. At that time, the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) was not yet responsible for curbside recycling. The program didn’t exist for another 19 years.
When Jeff and Scotty Twine moved into the 105th Street building in 1976, they joined the UWSR as volunteers and immediately began leading the effort. Fifty years later, they’re still running UWSR, making him one of New York’s last community-based recycling organizations.
Their long-term commitment to this cause is a case study of how far the environmental movement has come and how far it still has to go. West Side Rag spoke with the Twines last week.
“When we started, people thought what we were doing was a little weird and a hippie thing. ‘ said Scotty. “Recycling is mainstream now, but it wasn’t then.”
UWSR activities have evolved over the years. For his first decade on West 105th Street, UWSR was a drop-off center where volunteers collected, processed, and recycled metal and glass. In the early 80’s, UWSR officially became a non-profit organization, moved to nearby St. John’s Cathedral and started recycling paper.
When DSNY began recycling in 1991, the UWSR shifted again, creating a vocational training program for formerly unemployed people to collect recyclables along the city’s routes. “It took a lot of time and effort,” Jeff said. “I was in the cathedral almost every day.”
Today, Jeff and Scotty still devote their time to UWSR through the creation and distribution of free documentation. Bi-Monthly UWSR EcoLetterThey launched in 2014, with the support of then-and-current City Councilman Gail Brewer, to provide information on environmental topics and local events, as well as dispose of almost everything responsibly. Started providing resources on how to.link to them Difficult-to-recycle list is included in all eco letters and website.
Very fast-talking and reluctant to reveal his age, Jeff (80+) researches and provides detailed commentary on a variety of environmental topics for each newsletter.The latest is in New York City water supply systemScottie edits the part and creates an Eco Letter.
The newsletter has over 2,500 subscribers and an open rate of 65%, well above the email newsletter average of about 21%, according to the newsletter company. mail chimp.
Their email address often gets very specific and tough questions. info@uwsr.org.
“People think that if they want to recycle something, they should be able to recycle it. “I was asked by a woman the other day what she does with clothes she doesn’t wear. There’s no good answer to that because the New York City area doesn’t really have a market.”
They grew up in what is now suburban Pound Ridge, Westchester County, but in their younger years it was much smaller and more rural, which instilled in them an appreciation for nature.
As a boy, Jeff spent a lot of time in the woods, fishing in local ponds and was always interested in nature. “My family also loved this country,” said Scotty.
This principle is passed on to children who have been involved in the UWSR from an early age. Their son, Ian, is now Deputy Director of DSNY’s Compost Division, where he has worked for over 20 years.
Recycling is progressing, but there are still many problems compared to when we started. New York City residents recycle about 17% of all waste. This is half of what the current program can recycle. GrowNYC.
“People who recycle regularly tend to be very passionate about recycling,” says Scottie. “But I don’t know how actively other people are getting involved. I think there could be more focus across the city, like making composting mandatory.”
UWSR acknowledges on its website that environmental issues are complex. Recycling alone is not the answer. But they argue that individual choices matter and that combining them makes a difference.
“By acting locally, our individual actions can have a global impact,” Jeff writes. Together, these small local actions matter when enough people get involved.”
