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The city launched a new Public Space Recycling pilot program yesterday that puts blue and green recycling cans in high traffic areas in hopes that people will dump their newspapers and empty glass bottles in their instead of regular trash bins. The program will start in April and last through June, and Mayor Bloomberg said, "The most important thing is, if this works, it will let us do something much more ambitious citywide and really make a difference in how much we recycle, and how environmentally friendly this city is."
The NY Times had some interesting statistics about citywide recycling since the 1990s: Recycling hit a high of 21% in 2001, but dropped to a low of 12.2% (when the Mayor eliminated glass and plastic recycling, perhaps) and is now around 16-17%.
Here is where the six pilot locations are:
- Bronx: Poe ParkWe're happy to separate our garbage, but there's one key to really making this program work: Collecting the recyclables so that they don't overflow. Actually, if there's some way to increase collections from all city trash cans (and trash cans on subway platforms), that would help clean things up overall, too.
- Brooklyn: Columbus Park
- Manhattan: Union Square Park & Whitehall Ferry Terminal
- Queens: Hoffman Park
- Staten Island: Tappen Park, Cloves Lake Park, St. George Ferry Terminal
For more information about the new program, go to NYCWasteLe$$.
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It will be easier for a bum to find the cans now...
dont:
pretty handy, too, being as that's one of the original reasons behind bottle bills .. you know, that little 5 cent deposit that has made bottle & can recycling levels skyrocket in most states that adopt them?
Oh, thank god. New York has been so far behind on this, it is a wonder they don't have a single unit to collect waste/recycling instead of every trash can.
PS - The recycling plant can sort paper/plastic/glass/aluminum, so we really don't need two units.
there are a few in Brooklyn's Cadman Plaza also
How come the city requires residents to recycle, but not office buildings? Probably 40-50% of waste thrown out in my office building is recyclable (plastic lunch containers, etc.), but all we recycle is paper, and I'm not sure if that even happens. I have asked the corporate facilities person in my office (and btw, I work in a brand new building in Times Sq.) and they say it's costly to implement, but it's ridiculous that the city doesn't require businesses to recycle.
In San Francisco they have garbage/recycling hybrid cans that have a recycling section around the outside of it.
They also banned plastic garbage bags I think.
We are a little behind on the green iniatives here...
Lol, I doubt if it will work . New Yorkers are a stubborn bunch . It's like what the MTA tried to do in Times Sq. Station putting the arrows on the stairs telling people too walk to their right . How many of them do you think actually read them things ? A very small percentage at best . Now the city wants us to stop and pay attention to where we deposit our trash, good luck with that !
...in hopes that people will dump their newspapers and empty glass bottles in their instead of regular trash bins.
in "their"? come on, now.
everybody needs to see the episode of penn and teller's bullshit about recycling. shit's a real eye opener.
Or you could just tell us, Nick.
From what I rememebr, the P&T BS show said:
-Most paper comes from tree farms and not forests, and using more paper gets more trees planted.
- It costs more to implement recycling plants than it saves in recycled material.
- All of the garbage made by the US in 1000 years can fit in a landfill 30 miles wide, so there is no way we are running out of space for landfills.
-Landfills are enviromentally safe and grass, playgrounds and cows can be on top of them with no problem.
-The jobs at recycling plants suck, so saying that it provides jobs is saying it provides sucky, low-paying jobs.
Make of it what you will.
Recycling is required in offices in nyc, but its hard to enforce since private contractors pick up the trash. My office building doesn't even recycle paper, but apparently the reason most buildings don't do it is because the Department of Health will fine them for health conditions and those fines are so high that its worth being fined for not recycling.
Now, if only they put those bins in the subway stations! Every morning, the subway trash bins are overflowing with newspapers.