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Tag: Sustainability

Featured Business: Solar States

Posted on by Stephanie Aviles

In 2008, while economists were wringing their hands over the biggest financial crash since the Great Depression, Micah Gold-Markel was inspired. “I attended an event at the Academy of Natural Science featuring Van Jones, civil rights advocate and author of The Green Collar Economy. “He said there’s a revolution coming, and if we weren’t inclusive, it would be a disaster for our environment.”

Inclusivity had a special meaning for Micah, who had grown up in Powelton Village, attending both public and private schools. He realized that his public school friends wouldn’t likely have the advantages of a college education or be able to access to high-paying union jobs.

To disrupt the system, Micah launched Solar States, which not only improves the environment but offers free solar training and employment to inner-city residents. “We want to be the on-ramp to the green economy for inner-city Philly,” said Micah. To achieve this, Solar States became a Certified B-Corporation, committed to serving 75% of local homeowners and businesses.

As a result of Solar States educational outreach, North Philly now has more solar homes than other sections of the City. “The idea that solar was expensive was true sixteen years ago, but it’s no longer the case,” said Micah. “You can do solar with zero dollars down. Plus, with the Inflation Reduction Act there’s a 30% federal tax credit. If you’re a nonprofit, you get it as a cash grant.”

To make solar energy available to more Philly residents, Solar States partnered with the Philadelphia Energy Authority through the Solar Savings Grant Program to make solar energy available to low to moderate-income homeowners, including the Hunting Park Solar Initiative. This program empowers Hunting Park residents to obtain solar energy and subsidize climate justice work done in the
neighborhood.

“This is why we are seeing a record number of solar plants coming online,” said Micah. “We install as many solar panels as will fit on your roof which provides up to 100% of electric usage. PECO has to pay you for the electricity you are not using. We have clients who get checks from PECO!”

Solar States projects include Yards Brewery, the first multi-tenant commercial solar project celebrated in 2020 by Gov. Tom Wolf and Mayor Jim Kenney. The project was also honored by a visit by US Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm along with Senator Bob Casy. More recently, Solar States completed the installation of solar panels at Cristo Rey Charter School at 17th & Allegheny.

Cristo Rey Charter School Solar Panels. Image courtesy of Solar States.

“We engaged Solar States to install solar panels at Trolley Car Diner several years ago,” said developer Ken Weinstein. “Restaurants use a lot of electricity, so going solar was a smart move for us. It was not only eco-friendly. It sent a strong message to our community and customers that we care about our
planet.”

Swarthmore College Solar Installation. Image courtesy of Solar States.

So, where will you find solar power in Philly? Thanks to Solar States, just about everywhere. Solar States is installing panels at the new Weavers Way Food Coop in Germantown and has provided solar energy for homeowners in Mt.Airy, Powelton Village, West Philly, and throughout the tri-state area. One of Solar State’s most exciting projects was providing solar power to Temple University’s Ambler Campus so that agriculture could grow under solar power.

“People love solar. Our biggest hurdle is educating people about how great it is. They think it’s an expensive investment when it’s a tremendous cost-saving factor,” said Micah.

For more information about ways to lower your electric bill while improving the environment, contact Solar States at 215.939.6699.

Featured Business: Good Buy Supply

Posted on by Stephanie Aviles

Featured image courtesy of Jason Rusnock of Good Buy Supply.

For Emily Rodia and Jason Rusnack, founders of Good Buy Supply, 1737 E. Passyunk Ave, having a general store was a long-held dream. “We met as students at UArts,” said Emily. “The inspiration came to us on a trip to Canada. We discovered several amazing zero-waste stores and we wondered, “Why don’t we have something like this?”

Emily has always been interested in environmental conservation. “Even after we graduated and had jobs, we kept writing down ideas about our shared vision. We wanted to have a place that provided products that were good for the earth and good for people.” Those dreams had to be put on hold while Emily worked as a manager for another business. “I did a lot of buying and customer service, so I learned the ins and outs while running someone else business,” she said. In 2020, they opened Good Buy Supply in the heart of East Passyunk and the middle of the pandemic. 

Owners Emily Rodia and Jason Rusnack opened Good Buy Supply in East Passyunk in 2020. Image: Jason Rusnock of Good Buy Supply.
Owners Emily Rodia and Jason Rusnack opened Good Buy Supply in East Passyunk in 2020. Image: Jason Rusnock of Good Buy Supply.

Today, Emily handles the day-to-day ordering, inventory, and assisting customers while Jason does the photography for the website and handles what Emily dubs “the heavy work,” refilling 30-gallon drums. They hired their first part-time employee a month ago. A good sign that business is growing.

“We have a lot more products than when we initially opened,” said Emily. “What’s cool is that the recycling and sustainability movement is evolving and we are constantly finding new items. For instance, we have a reusable paper towel. It’s a cotton cloth that has the same thinness and absorbency as a paper towel, but you can put it in a washing machine and use it to repeatedly wipe off counters.” 

Their most popular products are found at the refill bar: hand soap, laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo, and body wash. These bulk products come in unscented as well as popular aromas such as Citrus, Lemongrass, Grapefruit, Lavender, and Rosemary Mint Vanilla. To earn 20% off your tenth in-store refill, bring your own clean, dry containers; refill them with any bulk products; and receive a Refill Rewards card and stamp for each container filled. 

You’ll also find things like bamboo toothbrushes and lip balm, plus an extensive selection of food-related items that can really help create a waste-free kitchen. These include reusable beeswax wraps, linen coffee filters, and stainless steel coffee filters instead of plastic ones.

Good Buy Supply features a refill bar with hand soap, laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo, and body wash. They also stock sustainable household products like bamboo toothbrushes, beeswax wraps, and stainless steel coffee filters Image: Jason Rusnock of Good Buy Supply.
Good Buy Supply features a refill bar with hand soap, laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo, and body wash. They also stock sustainable household products like bamboo toothbrushes, beeswax wraps, and stainless steel coffee filters
Image: Jason Rusnock of Good Buy Supply.

In their home, Emily and Jason cook a mostly plant-based diet and compost all food scraps to reduce waste which is why they made it a point to stock the shop with attractive stainless steel kitchen compost bins with a carbon filter to reduce odors.

The interior of Good Buy Supply, a sustainable general store in East Passyunk, Philadelphia. Image: Jason Rusnock of Good Buy Supply.
The interior of Good Buy Supply, a sustainable general store in East Passyunk, Philadelphia.
Image: Jason Rusnock of Good Buy Supply.

Good Buy Supply is located in East Passyunk, a great neighborhood with a thriving and eclectic suite of small businesses just steps away from each other. “Next door is Philly Typewriter repair shop; their customer base is similar to ours. Nearby is A Novel Idea bookstore and August Moon, a woman’s boutique,” said Emily. “You can get everything you need for your home on the Avenue, from plants at Urban Jungle to flowers at Creations by Coppola. Over half our customers live in the immediate neighborhood,” said Emily who lives with her husband just a ten-minute walk from her shop.  

Another plus? “We are all independent businesses, protected by the business district so we’ll never get a Starbucks or other chain store. It’s also the highest concentration of women owners and we all support one another,” she said.

“We are proud to say that very little waste makes it to the curb at Good Buy Supply,” said Emily. “We have set up programs with Circle Compost, Bottle Underground, Rabbit Recycling, and TerraCycle to keep the shop waste from heading to the landfill. We reuse as much of our vendor packaging as possible for things like our online shipments, business cards, etc.” 

“We ship completely plastic-free! Our packaging is reused from other shipments, so packaging will vary from time to time,” said Emily. “We also have an option for carbon-neutral shipping through Cloverly.”

An interesting footnote for urban anthropologists: Going back to the 1950s, East Passyunk Avenue had previously been filled with mom-and-pop shops serving the needs of local residents. While many are gone, they have been replaced by young owners equally invested in the well-being of the community.

SBN Sustainable and Local Guided Tour of East Passyunk

Good Buy Supply is one of the featured shops that will be part of the Sustainable Business Network’s 2nd Annual Sustainable & Local Tour of East Passyunk. The event will be held on Saturday, September 30, from 11 am – 3 pm and is sponsored by Solo Real Estate. Guided tours begin at 11 am, 12 pm, and 1 pm. Self-guided tours will be throughout the day, as well as scavenger hunts. Stop by to visit Emily and Jason at Good Buy Supply and support sustainable businesses in Philadelphia.

Ray’s Reusables Brings Sustainable Shopping to Northern Liberties

Posted on by Solo Team

In March, Ray Daly opened her first brick and mortar store, Ray’s Reusables, at 935 N. 2nd St in Northern Liberties after running her business on the road as Philadelphia’s first mobile refill shop.

“In 2020, I turned a cargo van into a traveling eco-store, bringing reusable, low-waste products to farmers’ markets in East Falls and Fairmount,” said Daly. In her white van, decorated with Ginko leaves, Ray’s Reusables was well received.

“With the flexibility and mobility of the van, I was able to go into different neighborhoods around the city, making sustainable shopping easier for eco-conscious Philadelphians,” she said. 

“But there were neighborhoods I could not reach due to many farmers’ markets limiting vendors to producers and also the narrowness of streets in certain sections of the City,” she said. Meanwhile, residents of Northern Liberties and Fishtown sought her out via Instagram. 

Refill station at Ray’s Reusables in Northern Liberties

“As soon as I opened the shop in Northern Liberties, they came,” said Daly. “Among the most popular products are UNpaper towels made out of cotton flannel in fun patterns,” she said. “The other products that are in demand are refills: organic hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, and body wash.” Other products include a cast iron conditioner, beeswax wrap, rosewater face cream, bamboo cutlery and brushes, natural toothpaste, and an all-purpose cleaner.

Ray's Reusables

Why sustainability?

“Plastic production has increased dramatically since it first came on the scene. Between 1950 and 2019, approximately, 8.3 billion pounds of plastic were created. Only 9% of that total has been recycled. 79% is in landfills and, worse yet, in our oceans and other ecosystems,” said Daly. “I believe that as consumers we have the power to effect change. By investing in quality reusable and refillable solutions we also invest in the health of the environment.”

How it all started

A self-described “Air Force brat” who grew up in Maryland, Daly has traveled all over the world but, before moving to Philly in 2018, she had never lived in a large American city. 

“I came here with my husband whose family lives across the bridge in Jersey,” she said. “I had been teaching high school English in Maryland and working at Whole Foods when I decided to go in another direction.“

Ray’s Reusables Van – Image: Ray’s Reusables

“I started by turning the pockets from my old jeans into something useful and beautiful – cutlery holders! But as I watched the pandemic unfold and saw the waste that was being created as a result, I realized I wanted to do even more to support the sustainable community. That’s why I decided to open up Philadelphia’s first mobile refill shop.”

Daly seized the moment, realizing that during the pandemic people preferred to shop outdoors rather than entering a shop. Farmers’ markets created the perfect opportunity. “My mission was to make plastic-free options accessible and affordable to people regardless of where they live in the City.”

“Now that I have a storefront, it gives me a lot more flexibility in what I can carry. I just expanded to face care refills and curly hair gel,” said Daly. Besides basing her business in Northern Liberties, Daly is looking forward to becoming a neighborhood resident in the near future.

The new brick-and-mortar location shop allows Ray to stock a wider array of products, and reach a new audience but on Saturdays and First Fridays, Daly will continue to take the shop on the road. Her goal? To make sustainable options more accessible for all.

Stop by 935 N. 2nd St to support this sustainable small business during their store hours Mon, Wed, Fri: 11am – 7pm; Saturday: 3pm – 6pm; and Sunday: 10am – 4 pm, or check out their calendar to see where the van will pop up next.

Remark Glass: Raise Your Glass to Zero Waste

Posted on by Solo Team

If you rinse every glass jar and bottle before placing it in your recycling bin, we have some bad news. Only 33% of that glass is actually recycled. The rest ends up in landfills. Now for the good news. Sister companies, Remark Glass and Bottle Underground are determined to close the loop and make Philly a national leader in recycled glass.

Repurposing


Founded in 2016 by three talented glass artists, Remark Glass doesn’t just recycle glass, they repurpose it. In their studio in the Bok Building in South Philly, co-founders Danielle Ruttenberg, Rebecca Davies, and Mark Ellis, turn used bottles into stunning light fixtures, barware, dinnerware, and decorative bowls. “One of our top selling items is Keepsake Glass, commemorative bottles from a graduation, wedding, or anniversary that we turn into a serving bowl or a light fixture,” said Danielle who graduated from Tyler School of Art and previously operated a glass art business in Port Richmond. “We also work in our showroom with designers on light fixtures for homes and restaurants. Forin Café which is scheduled to open in June in Fishtown is buying recycled glassware from us,” she said. Their one-of-a-kind housewares also make a great housewarming gift for a new homeowner. Shop the available selection on their online shop or consider a custom project.

Recycling


As the first business in Philadelphia to be certified zero waste, Remark came up with a unique concept to bypass the shortcomings of the City’s glass recycling system. They created Bottle Underground, the non-profit arm of Remark, which offers an environmentally sustainable alternative to dumping used glass in landfills. “Bottle Underground offers pick-up service,” said Danielle. “We supply you with a bin to collect your glass. We just ask that you make sure all your glass is rinsed and there is no residue. You can leave the labels on. We take care of that. Once a month we will pick up your glass and return your empty bin.” There is a charge for the monthly pick-up service. “We are trying to make this as affordable as possible on a sliding scale for restaurants and corporations,” said Danielle. “We also welcome one-time drop-offs of clean, used, unbroken glass
bottles at our headquarters in the Bok Building. Just call in advance to schedule your delivery,” said Danielle.
“We accept any clean glass container and anything that has a reusable lid. We love Champagne bottles because the glass is thicker. We also look for blue glass and specialty colors,” she said.

A piece of glass being shaped into a new item. Image courtesy of Remark Glass.

Turning bottles into art


“Prepared pieces are placed in our kiln and heated to 1050 degrees Fahrenheit – this is considered warm in glass – the temperature is stable and the glass is still in its solid state. From there, our team picks up the pieces, one at a time, on the end of a steel rod. The glass is rotated and heated in a 2000-degree reheating chamber, then tools are used at the bench to transform the material to its new shape,” explained Danielle. “Once the final shape is achieved, our team knocks the piece off the rod, stamps it with our logo, and carefully places it back into the kiln.” Co-founder Mark Ellis studied glass at the Tyler School of Art and worked in high-end glass and metal fabrication for over a decade. At Remark, he specializes in glass blowing and metal fabrication. Rebecca Davies, Mark’s wife, received an MFA at the University of the Arts, and then worked at a blown glass lighting company. “We all pitch in,” said Danielle. “We have eight employees and everyone does their part to achieve our mutual goal. To build a better future and support the overall well-being of their community”. Remark Glass also strives to support the local economy by working with local businesses that share the same values.

Danielle Ruttenberg, Mark Ellis, and Rebecca Davies pose for a picture with glass bottles. Image courtesy of Remark Glass.

So, as Summer officially opens with coolers filled with beer and wine, think twice before tossing those bottles and consider dropping them off to Bottle Underground for reuse by Remark Glass instead. Reducing waste by composting food scraps, recycling what you can, and repurposing glass containers can help Philly achieve its zero-waste goal.

Interested. in learning other ways you can help reduce your environmental footprint? Check out our article on Four Ways to Minimize your Waste Footprint in Philadelphia or our list on 5 Things Philly Renters can do for the Environment.

PHS South St Pop Up Garden Returns

Posted on by Solo Team

Do you want butterflies with that? The answer is yes at Philadelphia Horticultural Society’s PHS Pop Up Garden, 1438 South Street, opening April 1, 2021. This is the fourth year PHS’s urban oasis of lush foliage, tasty food, and drink is sponsored by Solo Real Estate. 

“We have partnered with PHS South Street Pop Up since 2018,” said Solo Real Estate president Deborah Solo. “This is our local neighborhood and we have strong community ties here. Green energy and sustainability have been very important to Solo Real Estate for some time.  We are recyclers, composters, and advocators of green roofs. PHS aligns with what we feel is really important.”

Now about those butterflies. PHS Pop Up Gardens don’t just offer frozen mojitos and spicy nachos in a lively social setting. They also provide pollinator plants, including Fothergilla, Erysimum, Anemone, and Primula Veris for the purpose of attracting butterflies and bees back into the urban environment. 

The goal is to provide sufficient food (nectar and pollen) to reverse the decline of bees and monarch butterflies in our City. Bees are not only essential for the reproduction of many flowering plants but are also responsible for pollinating agricultural crops. Meanwhile, the population of Monarch butterflies has declined 90% over twenty years. 

Pollinator decline is attributed primarily to loss of habitat – farmland and open fields converted into housing developments – and to the use of pesticides. Weeds, such as milkweed, that once grew adjacent to crops and provided food for bees and butterflies are now eradicated by insecticides.

While butterflies are attracted to the PHS Garden, adults and children are drawn to delicious food and drink provided by Cantina Los Caballitos and Khyber Pass Pub. The food menu has something for everyone – vegetarian and carnivore. Kids can enjoy hot dogs, chicken tenders, and fries, while adults choose from a wide variety of light fares, including Garden Burgers, Nashville Hot ChickenWrap, and Mexican Shrimp Cocktail. Speak of cocktails, the bar menu offers a tantalizing selection of botanical cocktails, wines, sangria, and craft beer. Try a Pink Peppercorn Paloma – tequila, pink grapefruit, pink peppercorn, and lime. Or a Frozen Frosé – Aperol, Rosé, and lemon. Plus, non-alcoholic options.

Cocktail available at the PHS pop up on South Street sponsored by Solo Real Estate.
Image courtesy of PHS.

One of the highlights of the PHS South Street PopUp Garden is the plant and seed giveaways sponsored by Solo Real Estate. “We distribute plants and bulbs on a weekly basis, along with detailed instructions,” said Sharon Tice DelCotto, PHS Business Development Consultant. “Each month features a different plant. In April, PHS will give away Gladiolus Bulbs. In May, June and July, it will be Geraniums, Coleus, Gerber Daisies, etc.” 

“PHS Pop Up Gardens started in 2010 with the goal of transforming highly visible vacant lots into gardens that serve as a valuable community resource. Since then, we have had Pop Up locations all over the City,” said Tice DelCotto. “This year, we just have two locations, South Street and Manayunk. New for 2021, visitors will have the opportunity to book private spaces in the garden for groups celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and other events.”

Image courtesy of Rachel Wisniewski for PHS.

The atmosphere is like a backyard party with all the safety precautions to provide proper social distancing, mask-wearing, and contactless service. The number of visitors is limited and facemasks must be worn by adults and children until they are seated. To ensure safety, you can order and pay for your food and drinks on your mobile phone. 

PHS was founded in 1827. In 2019, the non-profit organization became fully committed to using horticulture to advance the health and well-being of the Greater Philadelphia region. This includes creating healthy living environments, increasing access to fresh food, expanding economic opportunity, and building meaningful social connections. The Pop Up Gardens benefit the many programs of PHS, including City Harvest, which brings together a network of community gardeners who raise fresh, healthy food for more than 1,200 families in need each week. For Solo Real Estate, the connection with PHS reflects our commitment to sustainability, the environment, and the community.

The PHS South Street Pop Up is wheelchair accessible and pet-friendly. Open Monday-Thursday, 5-10 pm; Friday-Sunday, Noon-10pm.

Solo Tenant Launches Zero Waste Start-Up

Posted on by Solo Team

When Solo Real Estate tenant Leslie Davidson first saw her apartment in the historic Rittenhouse area in 2018, she was struck by the quality of light. “It was one of five apartments Solo had shown me and I knew it was the one,” she said. “It was in a brownstone with large bay windows, hardwood floors, and a great layout,” she said.  Her cats also approved.

The year before, Leslie had received a breast cancer diagnosis and gone through a romantic breakup that left her yearning for a living space that would support her personal and professional goals.

“I grew up in Ambler and returned to Philadelphia after studying fashion design and merchandising in LA. Although I had been a stylist for Michael Kors on the West Coast, I was open to a career change,” she said. Leslie took several jobs, including working as an office manager for a gardening company and teaching dance to children. 

She was gearing up for another career move when the pandemic hit and the job market dried up. As a cancer survivor, Leslie had to shelter in place and return to what she knew best. Using her design skills, she launched Made by Lad, an accessories company, from her dining room. Even though her apartment is considered a one-bedroom, the inclusion of a dining room provided ample space to set up her sewing machine.  Her first product was facemasks for adults and children. 

Leslie Davidson from Made by LAD works on sewing a face mask in her dining room.

What distinguishes Made by LAD facemasks from all contenders is their fuller cut and elastic under the chin which allows the wearer to talk without the mask falling or moving. Unlike most facemasks which loop around the ears, Leslie’s loop around the head, so there is none of that uncomfortable tugging on the ears.

“I came up with the design after a lot of experimentation,” she said. “My grandfather was having a lot of trouble wearing his facemask, so I designed one that would be easier to wear.” Her face masks are two-ply with a filter for extra safety. They come in solid colors, two-tone and tie-dyed. (Kids love the tie-dye option.) Adjustable elastic toggles are sold separately.

A couple wears Made by LAD face masks in a park.

Made By LAD became official in May 2020 after Leslie received an overwhelmingly positive response to the masks she was making for friends and family who said they “fit perfectly” and “made them feel safe.” She initially started the business as a way to bring in extra income to pay off her medical bills acquired from her breast cancer diagnosis, but as orders kept rolling in with no end to the pandemic in sight, she was encouraged to pursue the venture full time, so she took a leap of faith and decided to self-fund her new business.

Leslie Davidson from Made by LAD works from her dining room table while her cat oversees.

Leslie’s products not only look good, they do good. Using locally sourced, 100% natural fibers that produce zero waste, Leslie tie-dyes them in her kitchen and sews them on her dining room table. With her background in business management and a passion for sustainability and helping others, she has developed a brand that aims to not only give back to the community but encourages customers to consider the environment by using almost all biodegradable materials, from the merchandise down to the packaging.

A child looks up while wearing a Made by LAD facemask.

“The face masks are made from undyed muslin which I buy at Fleishman’s on South Fourth Street,” she said. Her facemask motto? “Masks that don’t move when you talk!” She also offers customized facemasks with monograms and embroidered messages, including, “Black Lives Matter” and “6Ft Please.”

Relying solely on her Instagram account and Made by LAD website, Leslie expanded her product line to include hair and winter accessories: oversized scrunchies, men’s and women’s hats, headbands, ear-warmers, and scarves. Hats, scarves, headbands, and ear-warmers are made from soft, thick, reversible, dead-stock cotton knit. Her most timely accessory? An embroidered “Vaccinated” status badge, perfect to sew onto a denim jacket or the back pocket of jeans.

Leslie Davidson wears her "Vaccinated" badge.

Leslie hopes to continue to grow her business long after masks are needed. Her goal is to create a sustainable athleisure brand that is able to give back to the community by continuing to purchase materials from small, local businesses and donate proceeds to communities in need whenever possible. 

For a limited time, Leslie is offering a discount code on her website for Solo friends and family. Visit Madebylad.com and use code SOLO215 for 15% off your purchase!

How-To: Recycling in Philly

Posted on by Solo Team

One aspect of sustainable urban living in Philadelphia that we try to highlight is recycling. Not only is recycling a fairly simple process, not much different than throwing out your garbage, but it can also help us reduce our environmental footprint.

The city has supplied recycling bins to residents since 1993. While the program has grown immensely in the past two decades, the supply of bins does not always meet resident demands. To help you navigate the world of recycling in Philadelphia, we’ve assembled a how-to guide for getting your bin and what you can and can’t recycle.

Getting A Recycling Bin

  1. City-Issued Recycling Bins – The first avenue to explore when trying to procure a recycling bin is your nearest sanitation center. There you can get your bin which comes free with proof of Philadelphia city residency. There is a great article over on Billy Penn with tips on getting your recycling bin this way, a list of the Sanitation Centers so you can find the one closest to you, and accompanying phone numbers.It is recommended that you call the Sanitation Center before making the trek over there because, while 40,0000-60,000 bins are given out by the city each year, it is still difficult to keep up with demand, and many centers run out frequently.
  2. DIY Recycling Bins – For this route to recycling it is recommended that you label “Recycling” clearly on the bin or that you grab a city-issued recycling sticker for the container.If you aren’t able to procure an official bin, either because they’ve run out or you’re unable to get to one of the Sanitation Centers, you will be glad to find out that any bin up to 32 gallons is permissible for use as a recycling bin.
  3. Temporary Recycling Bins – A good holdover until you’re able to either get an official city issued recycling bin or establish your own container is putting your recycling out in paper bags. In some neighborhoods this is an acceptable method, although there is no guarantee that your recycling will always be picked up this way. This method should only be used as a temporary option, however, because it does come with a whole host of problems. These issues are particularly apparent in the winter or other bad weather conditions where bags are compromised and recycling is scattered through the streets.
  4. Alternative Recycling Bin Distributors – Many offshoot organizations also distribute recycling bins locally. A few of the groups are community development corporations and neighborhood associations. If you’re having trouble getting your hands on a bin, we recommend checking in with your local neighborhood association or CDC to see if they can help you out.
  5. Solo Real Estate Bins – We at Solo Real Estate are always looking for new ways that we can help create a more sustainable Philadelphia. With all of our projects and endeavors we strive to hold ourselves to the highest standard of sustainable practices. In light of our eco-friendly goals, we have our own program for doling out recycling bins. We provide these bins for our clients, tenants, and neighbors. To get a bin for your household you can check out our stock at Greensgrow in Fishtown, the Kensington Food Co-Op, neighborhood associations throughout the city, or even stop by our office at 2017 Chancellor Street near Rittenhouse Square to pick one up.  

Philadelphia Recycling Dos & Don’ts


The good news is, now that you’ve got your very own recycling bin, the hard part is behind you because in Philadelphia recycling is about as easy as disposing of your usual garbage –  something that we all have to do.

Philadelphia has a single-stream recycling system which is great because it means the days of sorting different materials and numbers of plastics are in the past. There are, however, still some do’s and don’ts of single-stream recycling.

Some major items found in most households that fall under the don’t recycle category include light bulbs, paper products like tissue, paper towels, napkins, and anything wax-coated. Another big one that people often overlook are food-soiled goods such as cardboard boxes and aluminum foil. Sorry folks, but those greasy pizza boxes are destined for the trash can. Some common plastics found in the home that are not recyclable are plastic bags, packing peanuts, and Styrofoam.

Green Philly also has a great guide of the do’s and don’ts of recycling on their blog.