New York Halts Glass, Plastics Recycling Efforts

Date: June 27, 2002

Source: News Room

New Yorkers are being asked to stop separating out glass bottles and milk cartons from regular trash, the first significant rollback of a recycling program in the nation. Starting Monday, sanitation workers began collecting only paper and metal for recycling. Glass and plastics, which previously were recycled, were to be mixed in with ordinary trash. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the change will save the deficit-ridden city $40 million in the coming fiscal year. Recycling of plastics is being suspended for one year and recycling of glass is being suspended for two years while the city reconsiders ways to make its inefficient, labor-intensive recycling program more cost-effective.

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