NYC is fortunate to have a variety of local options to recycle the paper Sanitation collects from residents, agencies, and institutions.

The Department of Sanitation maintains contracts with various local paper processors that have been in the paper recycling business for generations.

The Department currently has paper processing contracts with the following companies:

LOCAL PAPER PROCESSORS

Approximately half the paper that the Department collects for recycling goes to the first five processors listed above. To keep track of tonnage, Sanitation trucks weigh in before delivering paper.

The local paper processors separate the paper received into various grades to sell on the open market. The majority of the paper handled by these processors is sold for export.

VISY PAPER MILL

The remaining paper that the Department collects for recycling from Staten Island, Manhattan, and parts of Brooklyn is delivered to the Visy paper mill on Staten Island operated by Pratt Industries USA. 

To reduce truck traffic, the Department uses barges to transport Manhattan's recyclable paper to this mill.

The Visy paper mill (which produces linerboard for corrugated cardboard packaging products), was built between 1995 - 1996, with extensive support from the NYC Economic Development Corporation  and Empire State Development.  The mill was commissioned specifically to handle NYC's recyclable paper, and is one of the world's most technically advanced paper recycling mills.

See video  about paper recycling process at the Staten Island Paper Mill.

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