A Guide to Recycling for Residents and Apartment Managers

If you’re new to NYC, it might take you some time to get used to the way things work in this fast-paced city. After all, they don’t call it ‘the city that never sleeps’ for nothing.

For residents and apartment managers alike, we’ve put together a guide to develop a better understanding of how the city’s recycling services work, and how they can be used efficiently.

Recycling in NYC – What to Know

Scheduling and Other Requirements

To begin with, find out what’s your scheduled recycling day.

The day before, collect your recycling and set it out in a clear plastic bag, or in a bin clearly labeled with a recycling decal.

Once your recycling has been collected, take your empty bins and return them to your property.

Recyclable items – large or small – need to be placed on the sidewalk, by the curb. Ensure that your recycling does not spread out to the street, and be careful not to hinder foot traffic or let it extend to a neighboring property.

Holidays

If your scheduled recycling day happens to fall on a holiday, just hold on to your recyclables for a week, and set them out on the next recycling day.

Weather Issues

Note that your normal recycling schedule could be affected by snow storms or otherwise inclement weather. If that happens, the collection will be officially suspended, in which case registering complaints is unnecessary.

When to Complain?

If you properly set out your recyclables and they weren’t collected on your scheduled recycling day, you can submit a complaint the following day after 8 AM.

Private Collection Services

Only a few types of residential buildings are unable to make use of the city’s recycling services.

These include buildings in areas going through zoning changes, buildings undergoing development, and buildings where the owners have decided to employ private collection services.

Even if your building belongs to one of these categories and makes use of private carting companies, you still need to adhere to the city’s recycling rules and regulations.

What You Can Recycle

Here’s a list of materials that you can recycle easily:

Paper

This includes newspapers, magazines, catalogs, phone books, receipts, mail & envelopes, paper bags, white and colored paper,and soft-cover books.

Cardboard

This includes egg cartons, smooth cardboard such as food & shoes boxes and cardboard from product packaging, pizza boxes, paper cups, and corrugated cardboard boxes.

Plastics (Rigid Plastics Only)

Plastic furniture, pails, large toys, appliances, crates, buckets, housewares, food containers, non-food containers, caps and lids, bottles, jugs, and jars.

Metal (Every Kind)

Cans (such as soup, pet food, emptied aerosol and paint cans), aluminum foil, foil products, metal caps & lids, household items (such as wire hangers, pots, tools, and curtain rods).

Glass

You can only recycle glass bottles and jars.

What You Can’t Recycle

Here are the items which won’t be accepted for recycling:

Batteries
Printer cartridges
Cigarette lighters
Butane gas lighters
CDs and DVDs
Pens and markers
Hardcover books
Any containers used for storing dangerous chemicals
Flexible plastic items (such as squeezable pouches and tubes used for toothpaste, lotion, and cosmetics, or sports goods such as basketballs, soccer balls, bowling balls, and footballs)
Glass items that aren’t bottles and jars (such as glassware, light bulbs, or mirrors)

How Apartment Managers Can Help

If you’ve just assumed the role of manager for an apartment building, you have a responsibility to ensure your building follows the recycling laws. Here’s how you can facilitate your residents:

Make It Convenient

Try to set up the main recycling area of your building in the same place where residents discard their garbage. This will allow them to follow recycling rules more conveniently.

If this isn’t feasible or practical, provide clear directions to the recycling area.

Labeling & Signs

Ensure that all recycling bins are clearly labeled according to the materials they’re intended for.

Green decals are used for mixed paper, whereas blue decals are used for plastic, glass, metal, and cartons. Ensure that signs and decals are replaced as needed.

No Mixing

Never mix paper and cardboard recyclables with plastic, metal, cartons, or glass. Use separate bags depending on the material.

Extra Bins

Other than the designated recycling area, you may also want to place additional bins wherever residents discard recyclables. For example, near mailboxes, in laundry rooms, and in other common spaces.

Updating Residents

As manager, you should ensure that the residents are kept aware of the current recycling information.

New residents should be briefed on the recycling guidelines, and current residents’ recycling knowledge should be refreshed with every lease renewal.

Identifying Room for Improvement

Once every few months, discuss the recycling procedures of your building with the staff. Such discussion often helps managers to determine what is working and what needs to be improved.

Put it in the Paperwork

You can help your residents ensure compliance with recycling guidelines by adding a recycling rider to all agreements, leases, and renewals.

Share Reminders

Recycling tips, and other helpful information, can be shared on building notice boards, attached to emails, or forwarded in group chats.

In addition to routine reminders, send out more specific reminders to the whole building if you notice unsatisfactory recycling habits.

Size Matters

Before packing cardboard into bags for recycling, make sure that it’s broken into small pieces.

Flattened pieces of cardboard, magazines, and newspapers can be recycled as bundles, as long as they’re securely tied together. Use twine, not tape, for this.

Set Up A Site Visit

We can all use a little backup sometimes.

Set up a visit by the Department of Sanitation to your building, by visiting their website. They can offer expert advice and useful tips to improve the recycling habits of your residents.

Since the 1960s, we’ve successfully prepared candidates for different civil service exams, including the NYC sanitation exam. Whether you’re preparing for NYC firefighter exams or taking the NYS Court Officer exam in Suffolk, our experts have developed courses and materials that ensure success.

Additionally, we also provide tutorial services for the Suffolk police test and NYC civil service exams in Suffolk County. Contact us to begin your journey towards a better future!