NYCWasteLe$$ government: Recycling and buying recycled

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illustration: recycling bin

Tips for Your Agency > Office

Recycling and Buying Recycled

NYC Agencies are required to recycle. Buying products made with post-consumer recovered materials helps to build markets for collected recyclables and recycled products.

Recycling is the law. Recycling regulations for your Agency site depend on the type of garbage and recycling collection service your building receives. For more information on recycling requirements, go to recycling. For information on ordering recycling containers through the New York State requirements contract, and to request free decals and flyers, visit the NYC Agency and Institution Materials Request page.

You can also recycle additional materials. See recyclers and vendors for more information on recycling and buy-recycled opportunities.

Specify products made with recycled content. Today’s recycled products offer excellent quality, and are available at a competitive price. Making products from recycled materials saves resources, energy, and water. Buying products made with recycled content also helps create long-term, stable markets for the recyclable materials that NYC collects. Here are some tips for buying recycled:

Look for products made with the highest percentage of post-consumer recycled content. “Post-consumer” refers to materials that consumers used and then recycled, rather than manufacturers’ discards. For more information on recycled-content standards, read Section 4 of the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guide.

When purchasing printing services, or paper from an office supply store, make sure that the paper meets or exceeds the City’s 30 percent post-consumer recycled-content standard.

In addition to paper products, consider buying other products made with recycled content. A wide variety of products are now made with recycled materials, including many items used in offices, landscaping, vehicular maintenance, and construction. For more information on the recommended recycled content for an extensive range of products, visit the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines website maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. See resources for more information.