Paper Recycling in New York City: How It Works

Boro-Wide Recycling Corp.

Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656

www.BoroWideRecycling.com

Although the rise of computer technology has encouraged many to go paperless, paper still makes up a large chunk of the trash that is produced everyday. In order to improve the city's recycling efforts and reduce the amount of paper that ends up in landfills, paper recycling has been mandatory in New York City since 1989. But what happens to the paper after we've done our part and put in the recycling bin? We'll tell you!

According to NY1, paper pickups in New York City start at 6 a.m when roll call takes place at each of the 59 Sanitation district garages. After being given their assignments, drivers and their partners take out their trucks and begin to travel through New York City neighborhoods, collecting the paper that is put out for recycling. Once drivers have completed their routes across Manhattan, all of the paper winds up at the 59th Street Marine Transfer Station on the Hudson river. From there, the paper is emptied into barges which transfer it to a private recycling facility located on Staten Island.

After the paper has reached the Pratt Industries Staten Island Paper Mill, employees work to remove any additional items that may have ended up in the trucks, i.e metal. After the materials are sorted the paper goes into a pulper machine where hot water breaks down the paper's fibers. Once this step is complete, the pulp-like mixture that is made passes through a variety of other machines where it is cleaned, dried and recreated into new sheets of paper!

While the end result of the recycling process is new paper, the recycling plant actually transforms all of the recycled materials into boxes for companies such as Home Depot and Kraft.

For more information on paper recycling in New York City, click here.

At Boro Wide Recycling, we work to keep our planet safe by providing comprehensive recycling services to commercial and residential customers. Join us in our efforts! Contact us to learn how we can help you in your recycling efforts, and don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date with the latest news in recycling efforts and eco-friendly tips.  

How Recycling Works

Boro-Wide Recycling Corp.

Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656

www.BoroWideRecycling.com

 

Image courtesy of
digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

By definition, recycling is a process that takes waste materials and reconfigures them into new products. As a result of this process, we are able to prevent the waste of usable materials, reduce the amount of energy used to create new products, and ultimately reduce air and water pollution by reducing the amount of materials that must enter landfills.

While many of us know the importance of recycling and why it is beneficial for our environment, take a moment to ask yourself if you know how recycling really works. What are the steps to recycling? How do recycling plants work to manufacture new products out of old ones? Thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we can tell you! The following is a brief explanation of the steps to recycling:

1. Collect: In order to be able to recycle, a plant first must receive the materials! There are a variety of ways that collection happens, with the most popular being curbside collection programs. Other forms of collection include drop-off centers and deposit programs.

2. Sort: After all materials are compiled, facilities work to sort them and group similar products together, such as plastics, cans and glass. Once they are sorted, they are then cleaned and processed into materials that are suitable for the manufacturing process.

3. Manufacture: The next step in recycling includes creating new products out of pre-existing materials. This means that items you use at work, at school, or around the house may be created from products that once served a different purpose. Common items that are created from recycled materials are newspapers, steel cans, and soft drink containers.

4. Purchase: The final step in recycling is completed with help from the consumer. By purchasing new products that are made from recycled materials, you complete one cycle and essentially begin another. The next time you go shopping, choose items that can easily be recycled or are made from recycled products!

At Boro Wide Recycling, we work to keep our planet safe by providing comprehensive recycling services to commercial and residential customers. Join us in our efforts! Contact us to learn how we can help you in your recycling efforts, and don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date with the latest news in recycling efforts and eco-friendly tips.  

Why some recyclables just dont mix

Boro-Wide Recycling Corp.

Maspeth, NY 718-416-1656

www.BoroWideRecycling.com

Not all plastics are created equal.  This has been evident to New Yorkers for some time now.  It is sometimes confusing trying to decide which plastics qualify for the recycling bin.  Some may not completely understand why they have to make this distinction.

The answer is polymers.  Different molecular structures, called polymers, determine all the properties of any given plastic.  Some plastics will melt at 325 degrees, while other may reach 720 degrees before they begin to melt.  Still other thermoset plastics, like desktop computer bodies do not melt at all.  Some plastics refuse to mix with other polymers when melted, which limits how they can be recycled and reused.  The main goal of recycling plastic is to reform the material into a new product, so recycling processors must take all of these characteristics into consideration when deciding which types of plastic they will accept at their facilities.  Recycling is a business like any other, and they weigh the costs against the benefits.  For example most cities do not accept Styrofoam because it is light weight, air filled and the transportation costs outweigh the economic benefits of recycling it. 

Separating your recyclables can be just as important as any part of your recycling process.  To learn more about the differences in polymer structures of plastic and how effects the way you recycle, please visit http://goo.gl/XSC1tM.

For any of your waste disposal and recycling needs, residential or commercial, contact Boro-Wide Recycling.  Like us on Facebook and Follow us on
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