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Recyclable Paper
Nearly a quarter of NYC's waste is recyclable paper! Be sure to recycle all clean paper. Reduce your carbon footprint further by taking your name off of mass mailing lists with the Direct Mail Marketing Association, reducing catalog waste with Catalog Choice, opting out of offers for credit cards and insurance through the Consumer Credit Reporting Industry and stopping unwanted telephone books.
Metal & Metal Appliances
Recycle cans, clean aluminum foil and “mostly metal” household items with at least 50% metal content. Bulky metal such as shelves and appliances should be placed next to your recycling bins or bags on recycling day (call 311 first for appliances that require CFC removal such as air conditioners and refrigerators). Conserve even more resources by donating reusable metal items. For example, bikes and bike parts can be used by Recycle a Bicycle or Time's UP! to get more New Yorkers on two wheels.
Container Glass
Unbroken bottles and jars are recyclable through NYC's curbside recycling program. Empty and rinse containers and remove, then recycle metal caps and lids.
Plastic Bottles and Jugs
Plastic bottles and jugs (no caps) are the only plastics accepted in NYC's recycling program. To learn why, see this note from the NYC Department of Sanitation.
Beverage Cartons
Gable-top and aseptic containers (think O.J., milk, soy milk and boxes of soup stock) are included in the City's recycling program. Rinse and place with your glass, metal and plastic recyclables.
Textiles
Materials such as old clothing and linens represent almost 6% of NYC's waste. Recycle your unwanted textiles at one of GrowNYC’s weekly textile collections at select Greenmarkets. If your running shoes are worn completely, you can also recycle them through the Reuse-a-Shoe program, which makes them into athletic surfaces. You can drop off any brand of rubber-soled shoes at Niketown, 6 East 57th Street (212.891.6453) or mail them to the Nike Recycling Center, c/o Reuse-A-Shoe, 26755 SW 95th Ave., Wilsonville, OR 97070.
Yard Waste
4% of the residential waste in our concrete jungle actually comes from yards and green spaces. If you’re lucky enough to have a patch of grass, leave it on the lawn after mowing. Collect fall leaves for compost and be sure to contact the Parks Department for proper removal of any tree prunings and other organic woody debris if you live in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens or Staten Island.
Food Waste
Why let your food scraps go to waste? Many NYC community gardens offer composting to turn your coffee grounds, vegetable trimmings and other organic materials into “black gold” to fertilize flowers, vegetables and trees sans harmful chemicals. Learn to make your own compost at home, click here to find a drop-off site or bring your organic waste to the Union Square Greenmarket drop-off hosted by the Lower East Side Ecology Center or to the Ft. Greene Greenmarket for recycling at local community gardens. Visit nyccompost.org for more resources and download a copy of the Manhattan Compost Map from Green Map.
For food that is still edible, check out this handy interactive map from the NYC Coalition Against Hunger to find a soup kitchen or food pantry near you. Large volumes of canned food can be donated through the Food Bank for NYC. Contact City Harvest for information on donating large amounts of fresh, perishable and prepared food.
Other Paper
Certain types of paper such as tissues, napkins, food-soiled paper, laminated papers, cups, plates, and take-out containers are not recyclable in NYC. Reduce your use of single-use, disposable items and compost food-soiled napkins and paper towels that are free of toxic cleaners or other harmful chemicals.
Other Plastic
New Yorkers discard nearly 2,000 tons of plastic bags every week, not to mention the ones that land in trees and sewers rather than the trash receptacle. The key is to reduce your use of plastic bags. If you need to recycle your collection you can do so at large retail stores and chains around the city, thanks to a recent law that requires recycling of plastic film such as shopping bags, dry cleaning bags and newspaper bags.
Plastic containers marked with a #5, such as yogurt cups and Brita pitcher filters, can be recycled through Preserve’s Gimme 5 program which offers collection bins at local Whole Foods Markets as well as a mail-in option. Other types of plastic can be recycled at the Park Slope Food Coop. Recycle plastic bottle caps with Aveda at retail locations or through the mail.
Construction and Demolition (C&D)
Reduce and reuse when you renovate. Save money by buying from and donating to NYC’s building materials reuse centers, Build It Green! and Rebuilders Source. Visit their websites to view their inventories of items like cabinets, doors, appliances, paint and even deconstruction services.
Electronics & Non-Metal Appliances
Although they are a small portion of the waste stream by volume, computers and electronics contribute about 70% of the heavy metals in landfills. Consider donating working electronics and appliances. If broken, there are many recycling opportunities for these items. Find upcoming collection days on our Recycling Events page, visit Take It Back NYC for info on manufacturer recycling or bring computers and their peripherals to your local Goodwill. Be prepared for April 2015, when certain electronics will be prohibited from residential trash.
It is illegal to place cell phones in NYC garbage, but fortunately NY State requires any store selling cell phones to take them back for recycling. You can also recycle your old phone for a cause through a charity such as Collective Good, which will refurbish it for reuse if possible.
Recycle CDs, floppy disks, VHS tapes, etc. by purchasing a Technotrash bin from Green Disk.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
Most of NYC’s HHW consists of dry cell batteries and water-based paints & adhesives, but also includes oil filters, antifreeze, wet cell batteries, motor oil, fuel, mercury wastes, oil-based solvents, paint, pesticides and fire extinguishers. Whenever possible, avoid buying harmful materials that create disposal hazards. Learn more about reducing toxins in your waste.
The NYC Department of Sanitation’s Special Waste Drop-Off Sites accept household and automotive batteries, fluorescent bulbs, mercury thermometers and thermostats, motor oil, transmission fluid, latex paint and passenger car tires.
Rechargeable batteries are prohibited from household garbage and must be recycled. NYC stores must recycle the same type of rechargeable batteries that they sell. Cell phones and their batteries can be returned to any store that sells these mobile devices. Select Greenmarkets have collection bins for cell phones and rechargeable batteries or you can visit www.RBRC.org to get a bin for your apartment building.
Single-use alkaline batteries can be recycled at Interstate Batteries on Berrian Blvd in Astoria. (Note: Whole Foods has suspended their in-store battery collections and 3RLiving has closed their NYC location)
Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) save energy and last much longer, but contain mercury and should be disposed of responsibly. Get more info on light bulb recycling and GrowNYC’s CFL recycling pilot program at www.grownyc.org/CFL.
For information on safe handling of household medical wastes visit NYC WasteLe$$.
Miscellaneous Inorganics and Non-Recyclable Glass
Reuse old windows (see C&D), mirrors and unwanted ceramics where possible.
Furniture
Goodwill Industries, The Salvation Army, St. Vincent DePaul, Housing Works, Everything Goes, Furnish-a-Future and other non-profit organizations provide good homes for unwanted furniture. You can also look for takers through Craigslist.org and Freecycle.org.
*All businesses must recycle in NYC. Visit the NYCWasteLe$$ page dedicated to businesses, which provides tips and resources for setting up a recycling program. Looking to get rid of reusable items without loading up a landfill, or trying to save money by acquiring used goods? Check out NY WasteMatch – a free match-making service for used and surplus goods. This commercial materials exchange helps businesses save money on purchases and/or disposal, while also helping the environment. |
