PRESS RELEASE – For immediate release 9/18/25

Sustainable Saratoga to Host Fourth Annual Paint Collection Day on Saturday, October 4th, 2025

Media Contact: Beth Plummer; beth@sustainablesaratoga.org

Saratoga Springs, NY – Sustainable Saratoga in partnership with GreenSheen will hold our 4th annual Paint Collection Day on Saturday, October 4th, from 9am – 1pm. This very popular community event will be held once again at the Saratoga Springs High School.

What: Paint Collection Day
When: Saturday, October 4th, from 9am – 1pm
Where: Saratoga Springs High School Parking Lot, 1 Blue Streak Blvd, Saratoga Springs, NY (entry from West Ave only)
Who: Anyone! There are no residency requirements for this event
Cost: Free, with donations to Sustainable Saratoga greatly appreciated
How to register: click this following link to pre-register and reserve your spot: https://circular.eco/event/SS10425

GreenSheen will collect and recycle the following items at this event:

• Interior and exterior architectural paints: Latex, acrylic, water-based, alkyd, oil-
  based, enamel
• Deck coatings, floor paints (including elastomeric)
• Primers sealers, undercoaters
• Stains
• Shellacs, sealers, varnishes, urethanes (single component)
• Waterproofing concrete/masonry/wood sealers and repellants (not tar orbitumen-based)
• Metal coatings, rust preventatives
• Field and lawn paints

Items not accepted include aerosols, paint thinners, cleaning agents, driveway sealer, caulking compounds, glues & adhesives, roof patch, craft paint, auto & marine paint or hazardous waste. Containers cannot be empty or leaking and must contain the original manufacturer’s label.

“We continue to be excited about our partnership with GreenSheen and the safe, effective removal of paint from the waste stream. This event provides s valuable service to our community, and we expect a great turnout like previous years” explains Kelsey Trudell, Sustainable Saratoga’s Executive Director.

For specific details about the event and what will be collected, please visit: https://sustainablesaratoga.org/projects/zero-waste/paint-collection-day/

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

Sustainable Saratoga is a not-for-profit organization that promotes sustainable practices and the protection of natural resources, through education, advocacy and action, for the benefit of current and future generations in the Saratoga Springs area. Since 2008, Sustainable Saratoga has been a leader in promoting awareness of environmental issues and what we as a local community can do to minimize our ecological impact while maintaining a high quality of life.

Everyone we know is looking for ways to make their holidays more environmentally friendly. There are many beautiful ways to wrap your holiday gifts without creating waste. Why not wow your friends and family with uniquely wrapped gifts this holiday season?

Wrap your gifts in fabric

Fabric scraps or flour sack dish towels or cloth napkins make great reusable wrapping. Here’s a tutorial on traditional Japanese furoshiki wrapping techniques for a beautiful looking gift.

Make fabric gift bags. If you’re handy with a sewing machine, you can whip up some gift bags using your fabric stash. 

Reuse paper

This time of year we get lots of packages stuffed with sheets of brown paper. Iron them flat and you have a blank canvas for creative wrapping. Use them as-is and pair with a pretty ribbon (perhaps saved from a gift you received) or get out the rubber stamps and markers and decorate them.

If you carefully unwrapped last year’s gifts and saved the paper or gift bags now is the time to pull it out. Did you know that most commercial wrapping paper is not recyclable? Save what you can to reuse. 

Now that we’re not using plastic shopping bags, you probably have a collection of paper bags in many shapes and sizes. Decorate them up and pop your gifts inside.

Still getting the printed version of your fave newspaper? Instead of putting it in the recycling bin, wrap your gifts in it.

Box it up

If you’re like me, you have a pile of cardboard boxes hanging around that are just too nice to recycle. Find one that’s just the right size. If it’s plain, decorate it. You may want to cut pretty pictures from a magazine to cover any unsightly spots.

Keep it together without plastic tape

Tie with cloth ribbon or twine, made from natural materials. Here’s how to wrap a gift without using tape. 

Try Washi tape, made from rice paper and available in many craft shops.

Add a special touch

Pinecones, sprigs of sturdy fresh herbs like rosemary or lavender, and tiny evergreen branches make delightful and fragrant additions to your wrapping.

Attach small ornaments from your ever-growing collection.

Or play zero-waste Santa. In my family, we pack all our gifts into big tote bags or cloth laundry bags and bring them out one-by-one to present to the recipients. All the ooh-ing and aah-ing without the mess.

See Celebrate Sustainably this Holiday Season for more tips for a great, green holiday.

PRESS RELEASE – For immediate release 10/9/24

Sustainable Saratoga is Hosting its 8th annual Saratoga Recycles Day Event Sponsored by Adirondack Trust Company

Media Contact: Caroline Rothaug; caroline@sustainablesaratoga.org

Saratoga Springs, NY – Sustainable Saratoga is hosting their 8th annual Saratoga Recycles Day sponsored by Adirondack Trust Company on Saturday, October 19, from 9 am – 12 pm in the SPAC overflow parking lot on the west side of Route 50.

What: Saratoga Recycles Day
When: Saturday, October 19, from 9 AM- 12 PM
Where: SPAC Parking Lot, west side of Route 50
Who: Anyone! There are no residency requirements for this event.
Cost: Entrance fee of $5 per vehicle, cash or check, plus $20 per TV.

Saratoga Recycles Day is a key event of Sustainable Saratoga’s Zero Waste Committee, whose goal is to reduce the amount of waste that gets sent to landfills. Saratoga Recycles Day is an opportunity for the community to actively participate in minimizing household waste, providing citizen education in the process. Kelsey Trudell, Sustainable Saratoga’s Executive Director, says, “This event, along with our very successful Paint Collection Day last month, provides us the opportunity to partner with other local organizations to collect household waste for reuse or recycling. We view this as a great service to the community. And new this year, we’re excited to have Adirondack Trust Company as a sponsor.”

Sustainable Saratoga and its partners will accept many household items, including children’s & adult books, textbooks, DVDs & CDs, video games, clothing & textiles, scrap metal, eyeglasses, hearing aids, musical instruments, cell phones and chargers, adult bicycles, refrigerants, small appliances, and electronics. There will be an additional $20 fee per TV.

For specific details about what is being collected, a map of the collection stations, and FAQs, visit https://sustainablesaratoga.org/event/recycles-day/

Still have questions? Email zerowaste@sustainablesaratoga.org.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Sustainable Saratoga is a not-for-profit organization that promotes sustainable practices and the protection of natural resources, through education, advocacy and action, for the benefit of current and future generations in the Saratoga Springs area. Since 2008, Sustainable Saratoga has been a leader in promoting awareness of environmental issues and what we as a local community can do to minimize our ecological impact while maintaining a high quality of life.

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PRESS RELEASE – For immediate release 9/12/24
Sustainable Saratoga to Host Third Annual Paint Collection Day on Saturday, September 21, 2024

Media Contact: Beth Plummer; beth@sustainablesaratoga.org

Saratoga Springs, NY – Sustainable Saratoga in partnership with GreenSheen will hold their 3rd annual Paint Collection Day on Saturday, September 21, from 9am – 1pm. The event is being held at a NEW LOCATION this year – the Saratoga Springs High School.

What: Paint Collection Day
When: Saturday, September 21, from 9am – 1pm
Where: Saratoga Springs High School Parking Lot, 1 Blue Streak Blvd, Saratoga Springs, NY (entry from West Ave only)
Who: Anyone! There are no residency requirements for this event.
Cost: Free. Donations to Sustainable Saratoga are greatly appreciated.

GreenSheen will collect and recycle the following items at this event:

• Interior and exterior architectural paints: Latex, acrylic, water-based, alkyd, oil-based, enamel
• Deck coatings, floor paints (including elastomeric)
• Primers sealers, undercoaters
• Stains
• Shellacs, sealers, varnishes, urethanes (single component)
• Waterproofing concrete/masonry/wood sealers and repellants (not tar or bitumen-based)
• Metal coatings, rust preventatives
• Field and lawn paints

Items not accepted include: aerosols, cleaning agents, driveway sealer, roof patch, craft paint, auto paint or hazardous waste. Containers cannot be empty or leaking and must contain the original manufacturer label.

“Our partnership with GreenSheen and the safe, effective removal of paint waste provides a great service to our community,” explains Kelsey Trudell, Sustainable Saratoga’s Executive Director. “We’ve had great turnout the past two years and are excited to be able to offer this event again in 2024.”

Pre-registration is highly encouraged to reduce traffic congestion during the event.
Please reserve a spot ahead of time by clicking the link below or scanning the QR code.
Event Registration: https://circular.eco/event/SS921

For specific details about what is being collected, an event map, and FAQs, visit https://sustainablesaratoga.org/projects/zero-waste/paint-collection-day/

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Sustainable Saratoga is a not-for-profit organization that promotes sustainable practices and the protection of natural resources, through education, advocacy and action, for the benefit of current and future generations in the Saratoga Springs area. Since 2008, Sustainable Saratoga has been a leader in promoting awareness of environmental issues and what we as a local community can do to minimize our ecological impact while maintaining a high quality of life.

The Zero Waste Committee organizes many of Sustainable Saratoga’s annual events including the well-known Saratoga Recycles Day and Paint Collection Day. The Committee focuses on finding creative solutions to the waste stream, with the goal of reducing, as much as possible, the amount of waste entering landfills. This goal is driven by our principle of the 5 R’s- reduce, reuse, recycle, repair, and rot.

Recycles Day

Recycles Day is an annual fall event that focuses on recycling, reuse, and redistribution of donated household items to community members in need. We partner with local nonprofits and businesses to collect unwanted household items such as electronic waste, small appliances, scrap metal, textiles, musical instruments, children’s books, bikes, eyeglasses, hearing aids, cell phones, backpacks, and camping equipment. The 2024 Saratoga Recycles Day will be on Saturday, October 19 at the SPAC overflow parking lot and is sponsored by Adirondack Trust Company. 

Paint Collection Day

Paint Collection Day is a partnership between Sustainable Saratoga and GreenSheen, that began in 2022 after NYS became a Paint Steward State, committing to recycling paint in collaboration with manufacturers, retailers, and recyclers. GreenSheen transforms old paint into high-quality recycled paint that is then re-sold to be reused. The 2024 Paint Collection Day will be on Saturday, September 21 at the Saratoga Springs High School.

Composting workshops

Our Zero Waste Committee volunteers also lead regular backyard composting workshops that are free, public education opportunities for local residents to learn how to compost in their own backyards. The next workshop will be Saturday, September 14 at Pitney Meadows Community Farm.

Repair Café

Saratoga Springs Repair Café is co-hosted by Sustainable Saratoga and the Saratoga Springs Public Library. Repair Cafés are free community events with the goal of repairing broken objects to extend their life, keeping things out of landfills, and fostering an appreciation for the art of repairing things.

Team Up to Clean Up

We organize an annual volunteer Team Up to Clean Up to raise awareness about the impacts of litter pollution, specifically single-use plastic pollution. Since the first clean up in 2021 we have removed 302 bags of litter from local streets and parks.

Helping to Make Community Events Greener

In February 2024, our Zero Waste Committee launched a reuse initiative at ChowderFest. Thanks to the participation of Discover Saratoga, Hattie’s, and Caffe Lena, our volunteers were able to wash and distribute over 800 reusable bowls to customers at Hattie’s on Phila Street. This demonstrated an exciting sustainable solution to replace single-use disposable products  ChowderFest that we are excited to expand upon in 2025. 

If you’re interested in volunteering with our Zero Waste Committee or leading a specific project, email zerowaste@sustainablesaratoga.org for more information!

Read the latest Zero Waste blog posts

Artificial Turf — Sustainable Solution or Environmental Problem?
Chowderfest Gets Sustainable — One Cup at a Time