Mayor Bloomberg is expected to announce a goal of doubling New York City’s recycling rates over the next five years when he delivers his State of the City address today.
Currently, 15% of residential waste is diverted from landfills. If the goal is met, some 550,000 tons of trash would be kept from landfills in just five years.
The goals will be met by opening two compost sites and expanding recycling to all rigid plastics (yogurt cups, medicine bottles) by 2013. Recycling bins will also be more readily available to the public—from 600 today to 1,000 by 2014.
The city will also explore new technologies which convert trash into energy for heat and electricity.
All of these changes are also expected to save the city $55 million of the $300 million it currently spends on trash disposal. Decreasing trips to the dump will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7% by 2017.
All in all, it’s a good, green plan.
