In case you missed it in the news, this past month the NYC Council passed legislation that will greatly improve and expand the City’s residential recycling program.
The passage of these bills, which we expect Mayor Bloomberg to sign into law in the next couple of weeks, represents the first major revision to the City’s residential recycling program since its inception in 1989. Among the many key changes and improvements that will be made to the City’s program include:
- expanding the scope of plastics recycling;
- establishing programs for the recycling of new materials, such as textiles and household hazardous waste;
- improving recycling at city schools and agencies; and
- increasing the number of public space recycling bins at parks, street corners and other high-transit areas.
We would like to thank our colleagues who sponsored this legislation for all of their hard work and leadership shepherding these bills through the Council.
We appreciate as well the strong support we received from New Yorkers across the five boroughs during our efforts to pass these important bills.
This legislation will make it significantly easier for folks to recycle many materials that had previously ended up in landfills or incinerators. By enacting these changes, we will also begin to decrease the amount of money that we spend to ship our waste outside of the City.
More detailed information about these bills and the many improvements they make can be found below. You can also read more about our efforts to expand the City’s residential recycling program by clicking on any one of the following links:
http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/politics/122922/city-council-moves-into-new-digs—takes-up-recycling-expansion-bill
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/toward-a-cleaner-and-greener-new-york/
http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlightoncityhall/20100730/203/3323/
We’re thrilled about the passage of this legislation and the long-term effects it will have for our city.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
NYC Council
Letitia James
Chair, Sanitation Committee
NYC Council
Our new recycling legislation includes the following:
Expansion of Recyclable Materials and Recycling Programs
- Expanded Plastic Recycling. Currently, the city only recycles plastics made of types 1 and 2. This is largely limited to air blown containers with narrow tops, such as soda and water bottles or milk jugs. As a result, a significant percentage of recyclable plastics items are simply not recycled in NYC. Our new legislation would require the NYC Dept. of Sanitation (DOS) to begin recycling all rigid plastic containers, including items such as yogurt tubs, take out containers, flower pots and medicine bottles. It takes 88% less energy to produce plastics from recycled materials than it does to produce new plastics, and this expansion would divert over 8,000 tons of plastic each year from landfills and incinerators. This component of the bill would take effect following the opening of a new recycling facility located in Brooklyn, which is scheduled to open in 2012.
- Expanded Public Space Recycling. Our new legislation would require DOS to increase the number of public space recycling bins in major areas around the city from 300 to 500 over the next 3 years, and from 500 to 1,000 over the next 10 years.
- Household Hazardous Waste. The legislation would mandate at least one department-sponsored household hazardous waste collection event in each borough every year, with a long-term goal of increasing the number of events, or making such sites permanent.
- Clothing and Textile Recycling. The new legislation would require DOS to establish a citywide textile collection program by working with a non-profit organization to place deposit bins on city-owned and private property throughout the city.
- Paint Recycling Pilot. The Council’s legislation would establish a voluntary manufacturer and retailer take-back program for unwanted household paint, which makes up about 50% of household hazardous waste.
Changes and Improvements to Existing Programs
- Improved Recycling in City Schools. Every public and private school will be required to designate a recycling coordinator and to provide recycling receptacles in each classroom and other locations such as entrances and lunch rooms.
- Improved Recycling at City Agencies. Would require each agency to designate a recycling coordinator and implement plans to increase recycling in all city-owned buildings.
- Improvements in Leaf and Yard Waste Composting. Extends the DOS collection period within two years of enactment, and requires DOS collection of leaf and yard waste for composting at New York City Housing Authority facilities. In addition, DOS will be required to aim to establish leaf and yard waste composting facilities in all four outer boroughs.
- Replaces Obsolete Tonnage Mandates. The original Local Law 19 set mandates requiring DOS to recycle a fixed number of tons of waste per year. These mandates were set at a time when the City produced substantially more waste than it does today and continuing reductions in the city’s waste stream have prevented the City from ever meeting those targets. The new legislation would replace this single vague mandate, with a series of more specific requirements and a more sensible methodology for calculating diversion rates. For example, instead of measuring recycling in sheer tons, which are likely to continue decreasing as the amount of waste decreases, it would establish recycling percentage diversion goals. To assess the success of recycling more effectively, the bill establishes two different sets of recycling goals, one to calculate the recyclable material that DOS actually collects from the curbside, and a second to calculate all materials recycled from residences in the City, including e-waste, plastic bags and bottles returned for refund. If any of these goals are not met, DOS must first consult with Council to improve its recycling program. If the city fails to meet two consecutive goals, it will result in the appointment of an outside expert, who will study the City’s recycling program and issue recommendations on how the City can meet future recycling goals.
Improved Enforcement, Outreach and Education
- Makes Fine Structure Fairer for Small Property Owners. Historically, fines for improper recycling have been set at the same amount for large residential and commercial buildings as for single-family homes. This has caused homeowners to bear a disproportionate percentage of recycling fines. The new legislation would establish two tiers for fines – lower fines for residential buildings with 1-8 units, and higher fines for buildings with 9 or more units, and would include commercial and industrial buildings.
- Recycling Training for Repeat Violators. DOS will be required to provide trainings for owners and employees of buildings with 9 or more units that receive three tickets in one year.
- Residential Recycling Guide. Requires DOS to create a guide to the residential recycling program, including rules on curbside recycling and information on recycling and composting materials not collected by DOS, to be distributed and made available to the public.
New Reports and Studies
- Study of Recycling-Related Industries and Jobs in NYC. Requires a study exploring recycling markets and opportunities to expand recycling facilities and recycling-related jobs in New York City.
- Composting Study. Requires DOS to study methods for expanding capacity to compost residential and commercial food waste.
- Annual Recycling Report. Requires the Commissioner to issue an annual report detailing the recycling totals for all materials recycled under City and State law.
- Commercial Recycling Study. Requires DOS to complete a commercial recycling study.
- Follow-up Waste Characterization Studies. Requires DOS to conduct follow-up waste characterization studies in 2012 and 2018 and requires a comprehensive study by 2024.
