Every year, New Yorkers throw out 50,000 tons of rigid plastic. In April, Mayor Bloomberg announced the largest expansion of the city’s recycling program in 25 years. For the first time, all rigid plastics, including toys, hangers, yogurt cups and takeout containers will be included as recyclables in the City’s comprehensive 20-year Solid Waste Management Plan. This expansion will result in diverting more than the annual 50,000 additional tons of waste from landfills, an accomplishment that will save City taxpayers almost $600,000 each year in export costs. Recycling plastic, a petroleum product, also takes 70% less energy than it does to create new material, which is a highly polluting process.
Although the new program has already started, the City will not begin enforcement until rules are adopted in July. In the coming weeks, New Yorkers will receive mailers describing the expansion of recycling that feature easy-to-understand illustrations of what they can recycle and how. Landlords and homeowners will receive decals to replace the current labels on their recycling bins.
