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|  What and How to Recycle in New York City
The requirements detailed below apply to all New York City residences, as well as schools, institutions, and agencies serviced by the Department of Sanitation. SEE What to Recycle. For information on setting up a school recycling program, see Recycling in Schools. To find out what happens to the recyclables the Department of Sanitation collects, go to What Happens to Recyclables? To order recycling literature and decals, use the literature/decal request form on the Sanitation website. To order bulk quantities (more than 50), use the bulk quantity form. For recycling bins and labeling requirements, see decals below. Improve recycling in your apartment building by participating in New York City's Apartment Building Recycling Initiative. If your business, institution, or agency site is serviced by a private carter for garbage collection, see the recycling requirements for commercial businesses. If your site's garbage is collected by DSNY, and any recyclables are collected by a private carter, see reporting requirements for recyclables. What to recycle: mandated materials Collection and ticket information Other materials Recycling tips What and How to Recycle:
Place all paper together in CLEAR bags, or in any bin labeled with green recycling decals or marked " MIXED PAPER". (Or place in the white dumpster for paper recycling, if your building has one.) Flatten and bundle large pieces of corrugated cardboard and tie with sturdy twine, or break into small pieces to place in your recycling bin or bag. (Or place loose in the white dumpster for paper recycling, if your building has one.) See how you can reduce your junk mail. What and How to Recycle:
Empty and rinse containers before recycling. Place all together in CLEAR bags, or in any bin labeled with blue recycling decals or marked "BOTTLES & CANS". Remove caps & lids. Place METAL caps & lids in the recycling bin; put plastic caps & lids in the garbage. Wrap knives or similar sharp metal objects in cardboard (such as a piece of cereal box) and secure with tape. Label the package "CAUTION: SHARP" and place with other designated metal, glass, plastic recyclables . For Home Sharps/Hypodermics, see Household Medical Wastes. Place bulk metal next to recycling bins or bags. Call 311 before discarding appliances that contain CFC gas. 5¢ deposit: Bring deposit bottles and cans back to the store for refunds. What and How to Recycle:
The Department of Sanitation will collect up to six bulk items from one address. There are special regulations for wood from trees. For more information, see bulk collection on the DSNY website.
Before discarding appliances containing CFC gas, or freon — such as refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, or dehumidifiers — you must schedule an appointment to place the item at the curb for CFC recovery. You can make an appointment on the Sanitation website or call 311. For safety reasons, the law requires doors to be removed from refrigerators and freezers before placing at the curb. When to Recycle and Missed Collections To find out your Recycling Day use the collection schedule feature on the Sanitation website, or call 311. To report missed collections, call 311, or complete the Missed Collection form on the Sanitation website.
Residential building owners/landlords must notify tenants about recycling requirements, designate an accessible recycling area, and maintain signs explaining what and how to recycle. The Department of Sanitation recommends that landlords provide new tenants with recycling information with their lease, and remind tenants about their recycling responsibilities with lease renewals. All tenants are required to keep recyclables separate from regular garbage and recycle according to their building management instructions in properly colored and labeled receptacles. To report recycling violations, call 311 or visit the appropriate pages on the Sanitation website: apartment owner/manager recycling violations or apartment tenant recycling violations. Improve recycling in your apartment building by participating in New York City's Apartment Building Recycling Initiative. Recycling violations carry fines of $25 (first Notice), $50 (second Notice), $100 (third Notice), and $500 (four or more Notices within a six-month period).
Go to the Sanitation website to report a commercial recycling violation.
APARTMENT BUILDINGS (3 or more units): Owners/Landlords The following infractions could result in a Notice of Violation being issued against building owners/landlords of multi-unit buildings:
APARTMENT BUILDINGS (3 or more units): Tenants The following infractions could result in a Notice of Violation for tenants of multi-unit buildings:
ONE- AND TWO-FAMILY HOMES: Owners and Tenants Homeowners and tenants in one- and two-family homes can receive a Notice of Violation for:
The NYC Department of Sanitation operates Self Help Special Waste Drop-Off Sites in every borough for the collection and recycling (or proper disposal) of: batteries (household & auto), fluorescent bulbs, latex paint, mercury-filled thermostats and thermometers, motor oil and filters, transmission fluid, and tires. Do not place these materials in your recycling bin. Use the links below for waste prevention tips and how to properly dispose of these items:
ALSO SEE reducing toxics at home and recyclers and vendors for less toxic alternatives. ALSO SEE NYC rechargeable battery law: info for consumers. While rechargeable batteries reduce waste and can be more economical than alkaline batteries, they may contain mercury, cadmium, lead, and other heavy metals which can be dangerous if not disposed of properly. Effective December 2006, New York City's Rechargeable Battery Law (Local Law 97 of 2005 ) makes it illegal for New York City residents to discard rechargeable batteries in the trash. All NYC stores that sell rechargeable batteries or products that contain rechargeable batteries (with the exception of small food stores) must accept up to ten batteries of the same shape and size as they sell, no purchase necessary. Large Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) batteries are not covered under this law. Visit batteries in resources for more info. Do not place these materials in your recycling bin. ALSO SEE electronics recycling. NYC residents can discard unwanted or broken electronics (computers, monitors, TVs, cell phones) in the trash, but recycling these items keeps hazardous materials out of the waste stream and the environment All City agencies and schools, as well as businesses and institutions, are required to recycle computer equipment, unless it is donated or resold for reuse. Various manufacturers, retailers, community groups, as well as the Department of Sanitation, have electronics recycling programs. See electronics recycling info for details.
Many people use syringes, needles, and lancets (known as household sharps) to manage their health care at home. Proper storage and disposal of used household sharps is necessary to protect children, pets, and Sanitation workers. These products must be packaged safely, and can be discarded at any hospital or nursing home in New York State. If packaged safely, properly labeled sharps containers can be placed in the trash. Never place loose sharps in the trash and never place sharps containers in your recycling bin. Visit household medical wastes in reducing toxics at home for info on syringes and lancets, thermometers, unwanted medications, and medical equipment. Go to recyclers and vendors to find toner cartridge recyclers and manufacturers with toner cartridge recycling programs. Visit new homes for old stuff to find toner cartridge donation outlets. For items not listed here, try the "How do I dispose of..." feature on the Sanitation website. Go to recyclers and vendors to find recyclers for bulk quantities of items NOT collected for recycling by the NY Department of Sanitation, including cell phones, and CDs. Visit new homes for old stuff to find places to donate, sell, or buy second-hand goods. Recycling Containers and Decals The Department of Sanitation does not provide recycling or garbage bins or bags. See where to buy recycling bins. Any container can be used for recycling so long as it is properly labeled. Containers cannot be larger than 32 gallons and must have a lid. CLEAR bags must be 13- to 55-gallon size.
RECYCLING: MIXED PAPER (green decal) RECYCLING: BOTTLES, CANS & FOIL (blue decal) You can get free decals to label containers for curbside recycling collection using Literature/Decal Request or call the NYC Citizen Service Center at 311. Decal application is most effective when decal is applied:
Request new decals when fading/peeling occurs.
Some manufacturers voluntarily place a number inside the recycling symbol on their plastic products, but these numbers only serve to identify the plastic resins used in manufacturing, and do NOT indicate that the item is recyclable. The only plastics accepted for recycling in New York City are bottles & jugs (with necks smaller than their bodies). All other plastic containers and all other plastic items should be placed in the regular trash — even if they are labeled #1 PETE or #2 HDPE. Refer to the lists above to decide what to put into recycling containers. Do not place items in your recycling containers just because the package contains a recycling symbol or other recycling information. When in doubt, leave it out. For more information, see Can I recycle other plastics besides #1 & #2 bottles & jugs? in Frequently Asked Questions.
See Frequently Asked Questions; for links to additional information on recycling, see resources. |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Recycling is the law in New York City. Residents, schools, institutions, agencies, and all commercial businesses must recycle.
NO - PLACE IN TRASH
*Appliances with CFC Gas
Multi-Unit and Apartment Buildings
Buildings with ten or more apartments that receive four or more Notices of Violation within a six-month period will be fined $500 for each bag that violates recycling regulations, up to a maximum of 20 bags within a 24-hour period. This translates to a maximum fine of $10,000 per day.
Many residents are confused about what to recycle because so many products display the universal recycling symbol. However, only items that have a viable resale market are accepted by New York City's Recycling Program.
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