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New York City Resumes Glass and Plastic Recycling

The administration has given residents a 60-day moratorium on fines for failing to recycle and has launched an extensive advertising campaign to remind New Yorkers that recycling is back, reducing the amount of waste that must be shipped to landfills and incinerators.

By: Michael Long

4-6-04

As of April 1, the New York City Department of Sanitation resumed collection of glass, plastic and mixed paper and cardboard for recycling.  Glass and plastic collection was cancelled by the city in July 2002.  Plastic recycling was resumed in July 2003, but collection was limited to alternate weeks.  Metal recycling was never cancelled.

In 2002, the Bloomberg administration determined that the recycling program was costing too much to sustain and needed to be retooled.  The Administration received harsh criticism from many groups concerned that the move reflected an abandonment of long-standing environmental concerns for short-term economic considerations. 

Reacting to Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed recycling cancellation, the New York State Green Party commented in February 2002, "New York City has never done a good job of recycling and needs to make immediate improvements. However, Bloomberg's proposal to junk recycling shows that he is in serious need of a crash course in the economics of garbage. Not only is recycling environmentally responsible, it is fiscally prudent. I'm afraid his proposals reflect the process of garbage in, garbage out.” 

According to a statement released early in March, Bloomberg announced that the recycling hiatus allowed the city to renegotiate contracts, reducing the cost per ton paid by the city to recycle waste from $100 to $51.  The New York State Green Party has yet to post a comment on the resumption of recycling on their website.

In addition to requiring recycling of glass, plastic, metal and paper, the City provides recommendations on how to reduce the amount of waste that each of us produces.  Advice, such as registering with the Direct Marketing Association to reduce the amount of junk mail that you receive, can be found at www.nycwasteless.com.

If the Green Party were to release a statement on recycling in New York City, they may consider calling for returning funding to the New York City Compost Project, which was created in 1993 to increase composting opportunities to reduce the more than one million tons of organic waste thrown away by City residents every year.  Funding for the program was cut in July 2002.  Information about composting and organizations that use compost material can be found at the Project’s website:  www.nyccompost.org.

What to Recycle

glass bottles & jars, plastic bottles & jugs,
beverage cartons & drink boxes, metal & foil
mixed paper & cardboard
What not to Recycle
Any other plastics or any other types of glass

References:

New York City Recycles. New York City Department of Sanitation.

http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/dos/html/bw_home/

New York City Wasteless.  New York City Department of Sanitation’s Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling.

www.nycwasteless.com

Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty Announces the Return of Glass Recycling and Weekly Recycling Collection Effective Thursday, April 1^st. New York City Department of Sanitation. March 31, 2004.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dos/html/pr2004/lpr0415.html

“Green Party Trashes Bloomberg's Junking of Recycling, Vows to Fight Bottle Bill Repeal,” New York State Green Party. February 20, 2002. 

http://www.gp.org/press/states/ny_02_20_02.html