New York City residents can now place all rigid plastics in their recycling bins.<\/p>\n
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the expansion<\/a> of the city\u2019s recycling program at a news conference Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cStarting today, if it\u2019s a rigid plastic \u2013 any rigid plastic \u2013 recycle it,\u201d said Bloomberg. \u201cThere\u2019s no more worrying about the confusing numbers on the bottom. It doesn\u2019t matter it anymore. If it\u2019s rigid plastic recycle it.\u201d<\/p>\n By expanding the city\u2019s recycling program to include rigid, Nos. 3-7 plastics, 50,000 tons of material that had been going to landfills will be recycled, the mayor said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will save taxpayers almost $600,000 in export costs each year,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n The program expansion starts immediately. Residents are being asked to rinse their plastics before putting them into the bin.<\/p>\n The city has partnered with Sims Municipal Recycling<\/a> on the expansion. Sims will process the plastics that previously could not be recycled, and later this year Sims plans to open a recycling facility in Brooklyn, the city said.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the expansion of plastics recycling we are making the New York City curbside program as inclusive as any in the nation,\u201d Robert Kelman, president of Sims North America Metals, said in a statement. \u201cThis is exactly the type of advance that was envisioned when we entered into this long term collaboration with the city and we remain hopeful that increasing the types of plastics recycled will lead to higher recycling rates for metal, paper and other recyclables.\u201d<\/p>\n Not included in the city\u2019s new recycling program are single use plastic bags, plastic film and polystyrene foam.<\/p>\n The expansion is part of a wider New York City recycling initiative<\/a> to double the city\u2019s recycling rate \u2013 now about 15% — by 2017.<\/p>\n Read the full article at Waste & Recycling news;<\/p>\n