Rooting out garlic mustard

The Bay Village Green Team Environment committee had a garlic mustard pull on May 9 in Bay's smallest park, Glen Park.

Seven volunteers worked for two hours and filled six trash bags with the invasive garlic mustard. The city provided gloves and the black trash bags.

Garlic mustard poses a severe threat to native plants and animals. Once introduced to an area it edges out native plants by monopolizing light, moisture, nutrients, soil and space. Animals can't eat garlic mustard and they loose their food sources.

It may surprise folks when they learn this invasive alien is in their own gardens and should be removed.

Hand pulling of the entire root system is practical for light infestations. Plants must be disposed of in sealed bags. They should not be composted or burned. For larger infestations, cut stems at ground level or within several inches of the ground to prevent seed production.

Source: West Shore Sun, by Roger A. Vozar

Paper recycling bin

The Bay Village Green Team and the Bay Village Service Department recently installed a paper recycling bin at Reese Park near the basketball and tennis courts.
The Abitibi bin accepts newsprint, inserts, slick paper including magazines and catalogs, but excluding paper coated in wax. Office, school paper and workbooks will also be accepted.
Items that should not be recycled include wrapping paper, colored paper or sticky notes.
Any kind of U.S. mail will also be accepted, but participants should reconsider tossing any mail they feel uncomfortable recycling in public.

Source: Sun News, by ameaney

Visit to Allied Waste Oberlin Recycling Facility

The Bay Village Green Team had the opportunity to tour the Allied Waste Oberlin Recycling Facility. With a network of 35,000 employees, 400 hauling companies, and access to 213 landfills. Our adventures gave us the inside look to how our common waste commodities such as glass, paper and aluminum are being sorted, organized, and re-purposed. In 2007, only 30% to 35% of their revenue was from municipal or residential services. Such as low number with room for improvement. Let's get recycling folks! Check out more of our tour photos on our Facebook Fan Page.