“I don’t think it’s right,” said Alex Diakonikolas, a 42-year-old…
By Alexander Dworkowitz
Queens residents reacted with skepticism to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to suspend the collection of metal, glass and plastic containers for recycling to save the city money.
“I don’t think it’s right,” said Alex Diakonikolas, a 42-year-old accountant from Astoria. “In the long run, the problem is going to hurt us.”
Bloomberg’s plan, however, is certainly not a likelihood. The proposed recycling reduction, part of $1.8 billion in cuts in an attempt to make headway against the city’s $4.8 billion deficit, has been met with widespread criticism from politicians, residents, and environmentalists.
Bloomberg has defended the proposal, arguing that recycling cans and bottles in the city is not cost-effective. According to the mayor, the city spends $87 a ton to recycle paper, almost all of which is recycled. But the city spends $230 a ton to pick up other recyclables and as much as 40 percent of that is not recycled, said Bloomberg.
Under Bloomberg’s plan recycling of paper would continue.
Councilman James Gennaro (D-Jamaica Estates), chairman of the Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection, has come out against the proposal.
Gennaro said state and city laws require a recycling program, and that such legislation would have to be rewritten if the recycling of cans and bottles were scrapped.
Gennaro added that he wanted to work with the mayor to finds ways to save money with recycling.
“If you’ve got problems with the economics of the recycling program, then let’s fix the economics,” said Gennaro.
The councilman suggested using two-bin trucks — one for paper and the other for metal, glass and plastic — so that each street in the city would only have one recycling truck coming by rather than two. According to Gennaro, two-bin trucks pick up recyclables in many neighborhoods, although having two separate trucks is still the case for most of the city.
Delcar Braun, a 25-year-old makeup artist from Bayside, said her home state of California managed to recycle metal, glass and plastic containers efficiently.
“No other state has this problem,” said Braun.
Cheryl Frank, a 46-year-old car salesman from College Point, said she would be happy to stop recycling.
“I hate taking that stuff out!” she said.
Among those who have objected most vehemently to the proposal are homeless advocates. If New Yorkers no longer put bottles and cans on the streets to be recycled, then the homeless, who often collect the bottles and recycle them for money, will lose a major source of their livelihood, the advocates argue.
Some residents said they will continue to try to recycle their cans and bottles if the mayor’s proposal is accepted by the city and state.
“We’ll have to bring bottles and cans back to the distributor,” said John Durfield, 40, of Bayside, speaking of himself and his wife, Mary, 35.
Reach reporter Alexander Dworkowitz by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 141.
