NYC Recycling, Composting, and Zero Waste Programs 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What contamination problem most commonly reduces the value and recyclability of NYC's collected paper recycling stream?
- Too much cardboard mixed with newspaper
- Food contamination — wet or food-soiled paper cannot be recycled (Correct answer)
- Paper that is folded too tightly
- Paper with color ink printing
Correct answer: Food contamination — wet or food-soiled paper cannot be recycled
Wet and food-soiled paper contaminates the entire paper bale, making it unsellable as a recycled commodity.
Question 2: NYC collects metal, glass, and plastic in a combined stream. What term is used for this type of recycling collection?
- Dual-stream recycling
- Single-stream recycling
- Commingled recycling (Correct answer)
- Source-separated recycling
Correct answer: Commingled recycling
Collecting metals, glass, and plastics together in one container is called commingled recycling in NYC's system.
Question 3: Which NYC initiative specifically focuses on reducing plastic bag waste in the city?
- NYC Plastic Bag Fee Law (5-cent fee on single-use bags) enacted in 2020 (Correct answer)
- A voluntary opt-out program only
- A ban on all plastic products
- Only a public awareness campaign with no enforcement
Correct answer: NYC Plastic Bag Fee Law (5-cent fee on single-use bags) enacted in 2020
NYC's 5-cent bag fee, enacted in 2020, is designed to discourage single-use plastic bag use and reduce plastic waste.
Question 4: What is anaerobic digestion and why is it relevant to NYC's organics program?
- A type of outdoor composting requiring sunlight
- A process that breaks down organic material without oxygen to produce biogas and nutrient-rich digestate (Correct answer)
- A chemical treatment to make plastics biodegradable
- A DSNY vehicle fuel type
Correct answer: A process that breaks down organic material without oxygen to produce biogas and nutrient-rich digestate
Anaerobic digestion converts food scraps into renewable biogas (energy) and digestate (fertilizer) instead of landfilling organic waste.
Question 5: Under NYC's commercial recycling rules, what must a business do with its cardboard packaging?
- Mix it with regular refuse
- Flatten and separate it from refuse for recycling collection or contracted removal (Correct answer)
- Shred it and place in regular bags
- Store it until the annual DSNY cardboard pickup event
Correct answer: Flatten and separate it from refuse for recycling collection or contracted removal
NYC requires businesses to separate and flatten cardboard for recycling — mixing it with refuse is a violation.
Question 6: NYC's 'Organics Local Law' expanded mandatory organics separation to which category of businesses first?
- Small bodegas and delis
- Large food establishments (restaurants, cafeterias, food manufacturers) generating significant food waste (Correct answer)
- Food trucks only
- Grocery stores under 5,000 sq ft
Correct answer: Large food establishments (restaurants, cafeterias, food manufacturers) generating significant food waste
Large food generators were phased in first under the organics mandate to capture the highest-volume food waste sources.
NYC Recycling, Composting, and Zero Waste Programs 2
What contamination problem most commonly reduces the value and recyclability of NYC's collected paper recycling stream?