Pratt Industries Partners with NYC

Pratt Industries has donated 16 solar-powered paper recycling units to collect recyclable paper in Lower Manhattan. The donation has been made to help New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg achieve his goal of doubling the city’s recycling rate to 30 percent by 2017.

To recognize the donation, Myles Cohen, president of Pratt Industries Recycling Division, joined several political and neighborhood association leaders at a ceremony. (See photo at right and caption at bottom of story.)

“With 60,000 residents, 310,000 workers and 11 million annual tourists, these high-tech recycling units will go a long way in keeping our streets cleaner and our environment greener,” said Downtown Alliance President Elizabeth Berger.

Pratt Industries, which operates a recycled-content paperboard mill on Staten Island in New York City, provided a grant to the Downtown Alliance to purchase 16 Big Belly solar paper recycling units to be placed in locations determined to be high-traffic pedestrian sites in Lower Manhattan.

“What is extremely unique about this program is that it enables access for recycling of paper instead of it getting thrown in with other trash, so it can be recycled more easily, right here in New York City at our 100 percent recycled paper mill,” said Cohen. “Our New York City paper mill has been in continuous operation since 1997, and since its opening, has saved almost 90 million trees by using only recycled paper that would have might otherwise been sent to a landfill.”

In March of 2013 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced an initiative to encourage public space recycling in New York City. In his State of the City address, Mayor Bloomberg renewed the Administration’s commitment to doubling the city’s recycling rate to 30 percent by 2017.

"The New York City Department of Sanitation has 25,000 litter baskets placed around the five boroughs to collect light street litter,” said Sanitation Department Commissioner John Doherty. “But we have also placed out more than 1,000 public space recycling bins to capture recyclables that previously would have been going to landfills. These new paper recycling bins donated by Pratt will help the city to reduce its waste and dramatically increase paper recycling on our streets.”

“I am excited about this partnership between the Downtown Alliance and Pratt Industries that will make our city even greener,” says City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. “The City Council, along with the Bloomberg administration, has worked hard to expand and overhaul the way we recycle here in New York City. If we all do our part, we can preserve – and dramatically improve – our environment. I thank Mayor Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Holloway and the Downtown Alliance for their steadfast commitment to this cause.”

Other civic officials present at the ceremony included Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability Director Sergej Mahnovski; Sanitation Deputy Commissioner for Recycling Ron Gonen; James Molinaro, Staten Island Borough president; Council Member Margaret Chin; and City Council Sanitation Committee Chair Letitia James. Rick Gaudette of BigBelly Solar represented that company at the event.

BigBelly Solar paper recycling stations are solar powered and are remotely monitored via wireless technology. The BigBelly Paper Recycling Stations will be paired with currently sited BigBelly litter units.

Photo, Left to Right: Staten Island Borough President Molinaro, NYC Long-Term Planning and Sustainability Director Sergej Mahnovski, Council Member Margaret Chin, Deputy Commissioner for Recycling Ron Gonen, Downtown Alliance President Elizabeth H. Berger, Sanitation Chief of Collection Peter McKeon, City Council Sanitation Committee Chair Letitia James, Pratt Industries Recycling Division President Myles Cohen, Sanitation Department Commissioner John J. Doherty. Photo Credit: Michael Anton/NYC Dept. of Sanitation