Solid Waste & Recycling Newsletter

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DEC Delivers - Information to keep you connected and informed from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
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Solid Waste & Recycling Newsletter  

Plastic Bag Ban Coming Soon

Bag Bag

Did you know that New Yorkers use more than 23 billion plastic bags a year? That’s around 1,000 bags per person annually. When we dispose them improperly, plastic bags pose threats to fish and wildlife, clog machinery at recycling facilities, and litter the pristine outdoor places we love and enjoy spending time in with our friends and family.

Starting March 1, 2020, a new plastic bag waste reduction law will take effect in New York State, and your reusable bag should be in hand when going shopping. Whether you’re going to the grocery store, clothes shopping, or to a home improvement store, make sure to bring your reusable bags. You don’t need to wait for March 1st to take action! Start bringing your reusable bags to the store ahead of the ban to build a new habit. Remember, your reusable bag means conserving natural resources, creating less litter, and keeping New York beautiful for future generations.

Additionally, stores covered under the NYS Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Act will still be required to collect plastic bags and other film plastics from consumers for recycling. Film plastics include items such as bread bags and plastic wraps that come over cases of water, paper towels and other similar items). As a consumer, you can help by continuing to recycle these items at participating retailers.

Questions on the upcoming plastic bag ban? E-mail DEC at: plasticbags@dec.ny.gov.


What Interests You In 2020? Tell Us In A Short Survey.

As 2019 comes to a close and we say hello to a new decade, we'd like to take a moment to thank all of our readers and those who have written us with questions, suggestions and events in their communities. As we move into 2020, we want to further cater our content to your interests. Please complete a short survey on what you would like to see in the Solid Waste & Recycling newsletters in 2020


USCC Emerging Composter Poster and Pitching Competition

United States Composting Council is looking for poster pitches from innovative new businesses, research projects or innovative community programs focused on composting. The Poster and Pitching competition will take place at USCC Compost2020. Submit an application to the Compost2020 Poster and Pitching Competition by December 20, 2019.  


Congratulations to the New York Recycles Poster Contest Winners!

2020 NYRecycles Poster Contest Winners

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s New York Recycles Poster Contest! We received over 200 entries from creative and inspiring K-12 students who care about the environment. Thank you to all of the students who submitted entries and to their teachers and families for inspiring the next generation of environmental leaders. Thank you for making the 18th year of the poster contest a great one!

All winners have their artwork featured in the 2020 New York Recycles calendar - 6,500 copies were printed and distributed across the State to recycling coordinators, educators, community groups and more to help increase awareness and educate people about the importance of waste reduction, recycling and composting.

New York Recycles Day is celebrated each year on November 15th in conjunction with America Recycles Day. It’s a day to shine a spotlight on the importance of waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting. Information coming soon on the 2020 New York Recycles poster contest.


Upcoming Events


Conferences, Workshops & Webinars


Funding Opportunities - Application Deadlines


We Want To Hear From You!

Is there a topic you'd like to learn more about or a public event or workshop related to recycling (organics, textiles, traditional recyclables, etc.) you'd like the greater community to know more about? E-mail us at organicrecycling@dec.ny.gov and it could be featured in an upcoming Solid Waste & Recycling Newsletter.