Sims Municipal Recycling Touts its Role with NYC Recycling Program

Sims Municipal Recycling (SMR) says that it will be playing an integral role in New York City’s "Recycle Everything" campaign, which launched July 29, 2013. This new program is the largest expansion of New York City's recycling program in 25 years and is set to double the city's current recycling rate to 30 percent by 2017, the city says. SMR will process and marketing all of the city's metal, glass and plastic collected through the new and expanded recycling program. 

"Our relationship with Sims has allowed city residents to recycle more types of plastics, making great strides in helping us meet the mayor's recycling goal," says New York City Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty. "We are thankful for this partnership and are looking forward to the future of a cleaner, greener New York City."

Prior to the city’s expansion, the only plastics accepted were PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and HDPE (high-density polyethylene) bottles and jugs. However, SMR’s new material recovery facility (MRF), set to open by the fall of 2013 in Brooklyn, N.Y., will allow New York City to accept a wide range of rigid plastics, such as toys, hangers, crates, tubs and other food containers, as well. 

"This initiative comes at a great time for us as we prepare to open our state-of-the-art recycling plant in Brooklyn," says Tom Outerbridge, general manager for SMR. "This new facility will bring approximately 75 new jobs to the area and will include an education center to teach children about the importance of recycling."

(Tom Outerbridge will be one of the speakers at Recycling Today’s upcoming Paper Recycling Conference & Trade Show, to be held in Chicago Oct. 16-18. For information on the conference, visit www.paperrecyclingconference.com.)