Building super John Bartolo sat in his basement office on the Upper West Side yesterday afternoon – puzzled that no one told him about the new recycling program.
“I have no idea what the new laws are,” said Bartolo, the man responsible for taking out all the recyclables at 139 W. 82nd St.
Every Tuesday night, the 48-year-old super deposits the white and clear-blue recycling bags on the curb for an early Wednesday morning pickup. Tonight won’t be any different.
Already, a clear blue bag – filled with glass and plastic bottles – sits in the basement hallway, even though they are no longer supposed to be recycled.
“I’m going to take it out the way it is,” Bartolo said, adding that he plans to make the necessary changes next week.
Bartolo’s response highlights the lack of publicity and widespread public confusion over the cost-cutting measure, which Bloomberg signed into law yesterday.
Bloomberg believes the city can save an estimated $40 million by temporarily removing glass, plastic and beverage cartons from the recyclable list.
New Yorkers will now mix them with regular garbage, while paper products and metals will continue to be separated and recycled.
When Bartolo was informed that plastics and glass were to be thrown out with the regular trash, the live-in super was flat-out “surprised.”
“It doesn’t make sense. We’ve been doing it for years,” said Bartolo. “Maybe [the city] could have gotten private contractors to pick it up . . . for [free] and sell it.”
The city last week said there will be a 60-day grace period before any fines, which start at $50, are imposed.
Recycling crews won’t take bags mixed with materials that are not supposed to be recycled under the new law, such as plastic bottles.
But the city’s regular garbage crews “will pick up contaminated loads” that the recycling crews have left behind, said Vito Turso, a Department of Sanitation spokesman.
The department will mail out 3.5 million notices between July 9 and 20 to households advising them of the change, Turso said.
Testing their ‘metal’ – Vox Pop
What are the new recycling laws that went into effect today?
Johnnie Malloy, 50, retired security guard, Brooklyn: “You don’t have to recycle glass and aluminum … You have to recycle [other metals].” WRONG. Metals, including aluminum, must still be recycled.
James Medina, 32, teaching assistant, Queens: “I don’t know. I guess they made it tougher.”
Constantine Gadetsakas, 55, restaurant manager, Manhattan: “I have no idea. There’s no recycling?”
WRONG. There’s still recycling, but the rules have changed.
Jourdan Hill, 23, student, Manhattan: “Who knows? I don’t know. I’m no help to you.”
Maryelin Cuevas, 20, waitress, Brooklyn: “Isn’t it that there’s not going to be any more plastic and glass pickup?”
CORRECT
Julie Hogan, 27, actress, Manhattan: “No more plastic, no more glass. Continue [recycling] metal, paper and cardboard.”
CORRECT