All residents of
515 Edgecombe avenue cooperation are required by law to
recycle their waste in accordance with New York City Guidelines.
These guidelines have
been posted on the main notice board in the building's Lobby. Appropriate
recycling bins are available in the designated area on the building
premises.
Every building in New York City is required by law to
recycle. The Solid Waste Management Act of 1988 requires
comprehensive recycling in New York State. New York City benefits
not only environmentally, but also economically from recycling.
New Yorkers must not lose the benefits of recycling by letting
up on prudent waste management practices. According to New York
State Attorney General Elliot Spitzer, “Recycling
is unquestionably one of the most important efforts we make to
conserve natural resources and reduce our dependence on landfills
and incinerators - recycling makes enormous economic and environmental
sense and I am fully committed to expanding and enforcing recycling
laws so that we can realize their full benefits.”
The information below provides guidelines on what and how to
recycle: For further information please visit the New
York City website.
What and
How to Recycle:
PAPER & CARDBOARD

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YES -
PLACE IN RECYCLING
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NO -
PLACE IN TRASH
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white, colored, and glossy paper (staples OK; no
spiral bindings)
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mail and envelopes
-
wrapping paper (remove ribbon and tape)
- smooth cardboard (food boxes — remove inside & outside
plastic wrappers — shoe boxes, tubes from paper towel
and toilet paper rolls, cardboard from product packaging)
- paper bags
- paper/cardboard egg cartons and trays
- newspapers, magazines, and catalogs
- phone books, soft cover books (paperbacks, comic books,
etc.)
- corrugated cardboard (flattened boxes)
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hardcover books
- napkins, paper towels, or tissues
- soiled paper cups or plates
- paper heavily soiled with food or liquid
- paper with a lot of tape and glue
- plastic- or wax-coated paper (candy wrappers, take-out
containers, etc.)
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Place mixed paper materials together in a labeled
bin (preferably green), clear bag, or labeled
dumpster. Flatten and bundle large pieces of corrugated cardboard
and tie with sturdy twine, or place loose in your dumpster.
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What and How
to Recycle:
BEVERAGE CARTONS, BOTTLES, CANS, METAL & FOIL

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YES
- PLACE IN RECYCLING
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NO -
PLACE IN TRASH
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any glass items other than glass bottles & jars (such
as mirrors, light bulbs, ceramics, and glassware)
- any plastic items other than plastic bottles & jugs (such
as deli and yogurt containers; plastic toys, cups, bags,
and wrap)
- styrofoam (cups, egg cartons, trays, etc.)
- batteries
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Empty and rinse containers before recycling.
Place together in CLEAR bags or blue labeled
bin.
Place bulk metal next to recycling bins or
bags.
Call 311 before discarding appliances that
contain CFC gas.
5¢ deposit: Bring deposit bottles and cans
back to the store for refunds.
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What and How
to Recycle:
BULKY TRASH

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YES -
PLACE WITH RECYCLING
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NO
- PLACE WITH TRASH
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Furniture and appliances that are predominantly
metal* and are too big for your recycling
container or clear bag — such as washing machines,
metal filing cabinets, box springs, or water heaters — should
be placed beside the container on your regular Recycling
Day.
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Non-recyclable trash that
is too big for your container or bag — such as mattresses,
lumber, TVs, or debris from small construction or garden
projects — should be placed at the curb on your
regular garbage collection
day (except during weeks with holidays or snow days).
The Department of Sanitation will collect up to six bulk
items from one address. For more information, see bulk
collection on the DSNY website.
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*Appliances
with CFC Gas
Before discarding appliances containing
CFC gas, or freon — such
as refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, or dehumidifiers — you
must schedule an appointment to place the item at the curb for
CFC recovery. You can make an appointment on
the Sanitation website or call 311. For safety reasons, the law
requires doors to be removed from refrigerators and freezers
before placing at the curb.
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Missed
Collections
To report missed collections, call
311, or complete the Missed
Collection form on the Sanitation website.
Multi-Unit
and Apartment Buildings
Residential building owners/landlords must notify
tenants about recycling requirements, designate an accessible recycling
area, and maintain signs explaining what and how to recycle. The
Department of Sanitation recommends that landlords provide new
tenants with recycling information with their lease, and remind
tenants about their recycling responsibilities with lease renewals.
All tenants are required to keep recyclables
separate from regular garbage and recycle according to their building
management instructions in properly colored and labeled receptacles.
To report recycling violations, call 311 or
visit the appropriate pages on the Sanitation website: apartment
owner/manager recycling violations or apartment
tenant recycling violations.
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Recycling Violations
Recycling violations carry fines of $25 (first Notice), $50 (second
Notice), $100 (third Notice), and $500 (four or more Notices within
a six-month period).
Buildings
with ten or more apartments that receive four or more Notices of
Violation within a six-month period will be fined $500 for each
bag that violates recycling regulations, up to a maximum of 20
bags within a 24-hour period. This translates to a maximum fine
of $10,000 per day.
APARTMENT
BUILDINGS: Owners/Landlords
APARTMENT
BUILDINGS: Tenants
What
to do if you get a ticket
APARTMENT BUILDINGS (3
or more units): Owners/Landlords
The following infractions could result in a Notice of Violation
being issued against building owners/landlords of multi-unit buildings:
- Failure to post signs with specific recycling instructions
for the building.
- Failure to have and maintain a tenant-accessible Recycling
Area.
- Failure to remove garbage and non-recyclables from designated
recycling containers.
- Failure to flatten and tie corrugated cardboard boxes (unless
broken down into small pieces and placed in a bag, container,
or dumpster).
- Failure to tie newspapers, magazines,
catalogs, and phone books into bundles no more than eighteen
(18") inches high (if
not placed in a bag or container).
- Placing mixed paper, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, and phone
books in any bag other than a 13-55 gallon clear plastic bag.
- Placing beverage cartons, bottles, cans, or foil in regular
garbage.
- Using recycling containers or blue recycling bags for regular
garbage.
- Using an improper recycling container or failing to provide
appropriate containers.
- Placing separated recyclables out
for collection in regular garbage containers.
APARTMENT BUILDINGS (3 or more
units): Tenants
The following infractions could result in a Notice of Violation
for tenants of multi-unit buildings:
- Failure to
separate recyclables from regular garbage and place
them in the proper containers provided by building management.
- Placing regular garbage in designated recycling containers.
- Failure to rinse beverage cartons,
bottles, cans, and foil clean of food and residue.
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Batteries,
Auto Fluids, and Other Special Waste
The NYC Department of Sanitation operates Self Help Special
Waste Drop-Off Sites in every borough for the
collection and recycling of automotive fluids, batteries, fluorescent
bulbs, mercury-filled thermostats and thermometers, paint,
and tires.
Do not place these materials in your recycling bin. Use
the links below for waste prevention tips and how to properly
dispose of these items:
batteries:
automotive
batteries:
household
fluorescent
bulbs
motor oil
paint
tires
ALSO SEE reducing
toxics at home and recyclers
and vendors for less toxic alternatives.
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Computers,
Toner Cartridges, and Other Materials
ALSO SEE electronics
recycling.
For items not listed here, try the "How
do I dispose of..." feature on the Sanitation website.
Go to recyclers
and vendors to find recyclers for bulk quantities of
items NOT collected for recycling by the NY Department of Sanitation,
including toner cartridges, cell phones, computers, and CDs.
Visit new
homes for old stuff to find places to donate, sell,
or buy second-hand goods.
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Recycling Symbol
Many
residents are confused about what to recycle because so many products
display the universal recycling symbol. However, only items that
have a viable resale market are accepted by New York City's Recycling
Program. While many other items carry the recycling symbol and
are in theory recyclable, they do not necessarily have extensive
resale markets.
The only plastics accepted for recycling in New
York City are bottles & jugs (with necks smaller
than their bodies) that are stamped on the bottom with 1 & 2 codes.
All other plastic containers and all other plastic items should
be placed in the regular trash — even if they are labeled
PETE or HDPE.
Refer to the lists above to decide what to put into recycling
containers. Do not place items in your recycling containers just
because the package contains a recycling symbol or other recycling
information. When in doubt, leave it out.
For more information, see Can
I recycle other plastics besides #1 & #2 bottles & jugs? in
FAQs.
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Helpful Hints
- Keep containers for collecting mixed paper in your main work
areas, such as where you sort your mail and discard kitchen items.
Devise your own system to make it easy for you.
- If you are concerned about the confidentiality of your mail,
remove address labels and tear up mail.
- After shopping, remove and recycle paper packaging.
- Leave labels on cans and jars. Discard nonmetal caps and lids;
recycle all metal.
- Avoid pests and odors by rinsing recyclables before storing
them.
- Save space by flattening beverage cartons and plastic bottles
(it won't affect recyclability).
- Recycle aluminum foil used for wrapping, not cooking (unless
food and grease washes off easily).
For additional links on recycling, go to recycling
resources |