NY Mayor Unveils Recycling Program
On March 28, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the beginning of a three-month public space recycling pilot program by the Department of Sanitation (DSNY).
The program will target busy commercial streets, parks and transportation facilities where significant amounts of recyclable materials, such as paper, plastic, and glass, are being deposited in trash receptacles and entering the waste stream.
From April 2 through the end of June, DSNY will partner with the Department of Parks & Recreation and the Department of Transportation to provide recycling receptacles for bottles and cans, as well as for paper, at key locations. These include parks in all five boroughs and both Staten Island Ferry Terminals. DSNY hopes to expand the pilot, one of the many new initiatives created by the historic Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) adopted last year, to additional locations this summer.
The Sanitation Department is conducting a public outreach campaign to inform New Yorkers about this new program. The campaign includes placing informational posters in bus stops and phone kiosks near the pilot locations. In addition, during the first week of the program, morning copies of the daily Metro wrapped in promotional flyers will be distributed at the Saint George Ferry Terminal. And during the evening rush hour at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal, DSNY staff will hand out free bottles of water with a custom label publicizing the program. DSNY will continue promoting the program in communities throughout the length of the program.
For more information, contact the mayor's office at http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.beb0d8fdaa9e1607a62fa24601c789a0.
This article originally appeared in the 03/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.