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Inspiring everyone to recycle a little better

PaintCare

large_paintcare.jpgGot Unwanted or Leftover Paint?

Find a PaintCare drop-off site and recycle your leftover paint products.
Accepted products include latex paint, oil-based paint, stain, varnish, and more.
View the list of accepted products and find a drop-off location near you.

Visit PaintCare.org or call (855) PAINT09.

  • Read more about PaintCare

NYC Refuse & Recycling Over Time

Refuse, Recycling, and Organics collected monthly by the NYC Sanitation Dept.

Hint: Mouse over the bars.

Scroll Left!

This chart shows how much refuse and recycling the New York City Department of Sanitation collects each month from residents, nonprofits, schools, and NYC government buildings from 1990 to the present.

---------- Black bars represent tons of waste that are collected each month. ----------

---------- Green bars represent tons of recycled paper that are collected each month. ----------

---------- Blue bars represent tons of metal, glass, plastic, and beverage cartons that are collected each month. ----------

---------- Orange bars represent tons of organics that are collected from residents each month. ----------

---------- Yellow bars represent tons of organics that are collected form schools each month.----------

---------- Brown bars represent tons of leaves that are collected each month. ----------

As you scroll to the right you will see the amount of recycled metal, glass, plastic and paper that were collected starting in May of 1993.

In July of 2002 the blue bar disappears when the city stopped collecting glass and plastic. It reappears in April 2004 when collections resumed.

In May 2013 residential organics makes its appearance, rising modestly until May 2020 when organics collection was suspended until July of 2021, and then making an anemic comeback .

 Scroll left to take a closer look at what New Yorkers recycled each month since 1993.

  • Read more about NYC Refuse & Recycling Over Time

Batteries

interstatebattery.jpg

Recycling rechargeable batteries

Some of the most common rechargeable battery chemistries include nickel cadmium (NiCd), nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium ion (Li-ion). These rechargeable batteries are used to power many of the devices around your home like laptops, tablets, cameras, tools and cordless phones, as well as the device you never leave at home, your cell phone.

While these rechargeable batteries power some of our favorite modern amenities, they need special care when they reach the end of their useful life. In some states, such as California, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Vermont, there are laws in place prohibiting rechargeable batteries being placed in the trash. Many more states are in the process of putting similar laws in place. It’s important we all do our part to keep these rechargeable batteries out of landfills, and we’re here to help make it easy.

Recycling single-use batteries

Alkaline and other non-rechargeable, single-use batteries can be recycled, but there may be a charge to recycle them. Since alkaline batteries are no longer made with mercury, they are safe to dispose of in landfills in all US states except California and alkaline battery recycling is strongly encouraged in Vermont.

Ready to Recycle? Find a Nearby Interstate Batteries Store

 

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