NYC May Delay Reintroduction of Plastics Recycling

The planned July 1 resumption of plastic recycling will probably be delayed as the city wrestles with completing its budget..

According to local press reports, the re-introduction of plastics to the recycling program depends on the availability of state funding. According to John Doherty, the city’s Sanitation Commissioner, if the state provides funding the program can begin July 1. However, he added, “If we don’t get the state money . .  then we have a problem.”

Doherty said the recycling contractor needed a two-month lead time to prepare to receive plastics and that he had instructed them not to spend money on structural changes until the Albany budget is in place.

Doherty said he expected to see a state budget by July 1, so the latest plastic recycling could begin would be September.

"If we don't get money from the state, we really have a serious problem doing waste collection, never mind recycling collection," Doherty said.

The sanitation commissioner, John J. Doherty, said at a City Council hearing yesterday that the city is on target to meet the July deadline for restarting plastic recycling. He added that the city stands to save a significant amount of money compared with the previous program.

After discontinuing the collection of plastics and glass from the collection program due to budget difficulties, earlier this year the city announced that Hugo Neu Schnitzer East, had offered to take in the scrap plastics, as well as the scrap metal.