Document Type
Report
Publication Date
2021
Abstract
The composition of collected recyclables reported on here has some consistency across the three systems in terms of the general kinds of recyclables collected (but that is true for most US waste management systems). The grab samples analyzed here varied considerably in terms of overall composition. Clearly some of that has to do with the nature of the collection programs (single stream and dual stream, residential alone versus residential plus commercial) but it may also relate to the service areas for the systems, indicating that waste is highly context-driven and location-specific. Islip is an affluent suburban setting; Delaware County collects from rural and village settings; and OHSWA has a more diverse waste shed, ranging from villages and tract-style housing to mid-size, post-industrial urban centers to much more rural areas. Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics will be very different among the residents of the systems, and these factors are often thought to have effects on waste generation and composition.
Therefore, although recycling in New York State occurs under a consistent State policy umbrella, its realization and implementation is clearly distinct for different systems. In fact, it might be surprising to find more similarities across the sets of collected recyclables, given the differences in the settings and collection programs. Achieving a more expansive sampling set, sampling more times at each facility, and sampling across seasons and years is certainly something that could increase the information available for this kind of analysis. One fruitful approach may be to develop a “typology” of system and program types that allows interested parties to easily see overlaps and divergences among varied and diverse New York State waste management programs.
Recommended Citation
Firmansyah, Firman; Wang, Yiyi; Manzur, Sameena; Brannan-Douglas, Sayidana; Lee, Justin; Lora, Andersson; O'Halloran, John; Hewitt, Elizabeth; Thyberg, Krista L.; and Tonjes, David J., "New York State Materials Recycling Facilities Report 2019" (2021). Technology & Society Faculty Publications. 34.
https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/techsoc-articles/34