Artists Take a Stand to Go Green

Alexis Wanzell

 

Thirty years ago, Kathryn Garcia, commissioner at the NYC Department of Sanitation announced a series of recycling laws and regulations to the City of New York. In just 2016, Mayor of New York, Bill De Blasio, ambitiously pursued the goal of reducing commercial waste and emissions by ninety percent by 2030, further enforcing Garcia’s recycling regulations. Requirements of the law state that New York City residents must recycle all paper and plastic products handled by private recycling carter. Requirements that are not met to these standards are eligible for a fine of up to four hundred dollars.  

Celebrations commenced November 10th at Union Square Park as the NYC Department of Sanitation celebrated thirty years since the law’s enforcement. Though the city has taken a proactive role in enforcing laws that implement citizens to recycle, there is a way of work to go. Statistics today still show that New York City residents are only recycling 17% of their total recyclable waste products. The correlation goes to show that residents are still finding loops in the system that, in turn, are negatively affecting the environment in which we live.  

Though New York residents have failed to collectively go green under De Blasio’s enforcements, efforts may be increased if they were aware of the access, they have to products that are intentionally made with environmental consciousness. New York City artists have re-thought what it means to “go green” by taking recycled materials and creating art, accessories, sculptures, and even clothing. Artists such as Lin Evola-Smidt, Michelle Reader, and Julia Hillman have found innovative ways to turn recycled materials into one of a kind artistic pieces, ranging from sculptures to jewelry. Their innovative brand concepts are not only unique due to the products being produced entirely out of recycled items, but the brand itself is a step in the right direction toward a true change in New York City’s efforts to go green. 

One thing these artists share is their desire to inspire change through their art. Julia Hillman, founder of Popcycle, runs her brand driven by the goal of taking personally found recycled products and creating them into jewelry, clothing, and accessories. Hillman started her journey of environmental awareness while working at a vintage store in New York City where she realized how much stuff was being discarded of but never used. Her ambition to create Popcycle derived from her consciousness of the problem and creating a brand structured around creating new products entirely out of recycled items she collects on her own. Hillman states, “I think I’m part of the large movement. Um, there’s so many different aspects to changing our consciousness and changing how were dealing with this problem. Um, I’m just one little part of it. I mean sustainable materials of course are the future but even if we switch into everything being recycled there’s still so much around that we really need to mobilize.” 

Though New York City celebrates thirty years of recycling requirements, statistics have shown residents are not putting in the legwork. Though by increasing the exposure and awareness of up-and-coming recycled products that can be purchased locally, consciousness may shift due to the awareness of access as well as supporting local artists trying to make change one creation at a time.