Written by Mary C. Marvin

Oct. 22, 2014: The village's active and dedicated green committee has organized the fourth village-wide recycling event. So named "Take Back Day," on this Saturday, October 25, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, one can bring items to the Bronxville Elementary School parking lot on Midland Avenue.

Items accepted for recycling include any electronic devices, clean linens, sheets, and towels that will then be delivered to area animal shelters, and two cartons of papers for secure shredding by the Westchester County mobile shredder.

The committee has the "drive in-drive out" process down to a science so you never have to leave your car. They are ably assisted by members of the Bronxville High School Environmental Club and the village's own DPW staffers, who have enthusiastically embraced all the positive environmental changes inaugurated throughout the village.

"Take-Back Day" is just one of the many initiatives this committed group has undertaken to improve the green footprint of our village.

Love 'Em and 'Leave Em (LELE), an effort to recycle leaves in place on lawns, has been their most expansive venture, and so timely now that we are in leaf season.

To recap, the cost of leaf removal in the village is in excess of $100,000 yearly, equating to well over a tax point, so mulching in place benefits not only the environment but our wallets.

Virtually every area gardener has a mulching mower that can pulverize the leaves to minute particles that then fertilize the grass for the season eliminating the need for harmful chemical fertilizers in the spring. Leaves on driveways and other hard surfaces can be raked into a line, mulched, and then kicked back into plant and tree beds to reap the same benefits.

Mulching in place would eliminate 90% of the leaves for pickup and with them the problems that accompany, including narrowing, slippery roadways and clogged catch basins.

Without the benefits of mulching, homeowners then need to fertilize and de-weed in the spring and are often unaware of the toxicity of the products placed on their property to accomplish these tasks.

Government regulations only require the disclosure of the acute effects of these products such as respiratory problems and skin and eye irritation.

They are not required to disclose the more serious long-term effects that scientists have linked to pesticide and lawn chemical exposure, including an increased risk of asthma, certain cancers, liver and kidney damage, and birth defects.

Particularly vulnerable are our children and pets who play directly on the grass. Children then carry the compounds inside on the soles of their shoes and often put their unwashed hands in their mouths, thus ingesting the chemicals. The same is true of our beloved pets who lie or roll in the grass and then groom themselves by licking their paws and fur.

The required lawn care "24 hour re-entry" signs are just a brokered agreement between government regulators and the industry. It has been demonstrated that pesticides can remain "active" for months on lawns and even household carpets.

As a direct result of the green committee's campaign, both the village and the Bronxville school district mulch in place and care for their properties completely organically. When you walk by village hall's green, you can view the positive, healthy outcome.

The green committee has hosted many open forums for landscape gardeners and residents on the above initiatives and how to be more green in general.

These informational events are currently being rebroadcast on the Eastchester and Bronxville cable channels.

Some of the easiest energy-saving and environmentally conscious suggestions for our home as shared by the green advocates include:

• Purchasing energy-saving light bulbs
• Using eco-friendly cleaning products
• Lowering home thermostats at bedtime
• Buying local or organically grown food
• Purchasing recycled paper products
• Foregoing the boxes and tissue paper when making non-gift purchases
• Turning off house lights when not in the room, and finally,
• Unplugging appliances when not in use.

Our village continues to be in the top three communities in the entire county of 45 municipalities in our percentage of recycled garbage, but we do lag in the lawn/outdoor conservation efforts.