EARTH DAY- first observed on April 22, 1970. An estimated 2 million people nationwide attended thousands of inaugural events. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D) Senator 1963-1981 from Wisconsin promoted Earth Day. 52 years ago!! I, Kristin Bergfeld, was privileged to be among the original founders of Earth Day back then 1970. (more on the early days here). On Wednesday, April 22, 1970, we closed Fifth Avenue and hosted dozens of exhibitors from government agencies, businesses, neighborhood organizations, schools, and individual advocates for a cleaner and safer environment. It was a massive festival!
After the citywide celebration of the first EARTH DAY, we looked ahead. What next? The message was out. “SAVE THE EARTH”. Dozens of community organizations, businesses and public agencies were already engaged in saving the environment and got the word out, offering education and volunteer opportunities to clean up and preserve. What can we do to keep the momentum moving forward? We formed the Environmental Action Coalition (EAC) and surveyed Earth Day participants to identify our next role.
At the time, several neighborhoods were developing programs to recycle empty bottles and cans. This was before states charged $0.05 deposit on every bottle and can sold. And, this was before there were organized redemption centers where people could bring “empties” and redeem them for $0.05.
A primary goal of this ‘bottle fee’ was to reduce litter.
We sought out and talked to neighborhoods that were developing collection sites for the “empties”. Community organizers needed transportation of barrels filled with empty glass bottle and cans to the processing sites.
Aha! Recycling! There’s an opportunity!! We hired trucks to pick up barrels and drive them to the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) as well as to a few private company’s processing site. We watched and sometimes assisted in crushing bottles into small cullets of glass. This was noisy, messy and time consuming. And, we did this on Saturdays! But, there was something thrilling about rescuing containers historically dumped into landfill and turning them into materials that could be used for making other products.
This is a photo of me (Kristin) with Richard “Dick” Napoli, Commissioner in charge of citywide recycling, surveying the pile of crushed glass, 1972.
Another program we developed was a newsletter for children – EcoNews, begun by Kristin and edited by Joan Edwards, with illustrations by Susan Bingham.
In 2000, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of Earth Day with a reunion of most of the original founders. Sandy and Steve, who took charge of the recycling program, Me (Kristin), ”Pete” B. Grannis, a member of the New York State Assembly from 1975 to 2007. Then, Commissioner of NY State Department of Environmental Conservation. Joan Edwards, Editor of Eco News and in charge of educational programs.
Earth Day now in its 52nd year!
©Hoarding Lives
