NYC Bill to Require Recycling Pickups After Holidays

A bill introduced in the City Council would require the Sanitation Department to pick up recycling along with regular waste within 24 hours of a holiday, replacing the current practice of waiting for the following week.

While solid waste is currently picked up the day after a holiday, Councilman David Greenfield’s legislation would have sanitation workers also pick up recycling. Many people still put their recycling bags out for collection on the day after a holiday, assuming they will be picked up.

Under the present system, when federal holidays fall on the same day two weeks in a row, it can mean no recycling pickups for three weeks straight. This happened earlier this month, when both Election Day and Veterans Day fell on back-to-back Tuesdays, meaning residents were left holding their refuse until late November for collection.

“It’s not acceptable that we are left with weeks’ worth of recycling simply because of a holiday,” Greenfield said.

The bill was referred to the Council’s Sanitation Committee for hearings.

This article appeared in print on page 6 of the November 27th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.