Dive Brief:
- The town of Brookhaven, in Long Island, NY, has saved $253,000 in landfill costs since it implemented single-stream recycling for residents.
- Brookhaven began the co-mingled program in January 2014. The recycling rate has grown 24.6% since the start of the program, generating $34,000 in revenue to date.
- Officials estimate that Brookhaven residents are now recycling about 9.1 tons of recyclables per person. Before single-sort was introduced, the average volume of recyclables collected came in at 7.4 tons per person.
Dive Insight:
In November of 2013, plans were announced for a $7-million upgrade to the local recycling plant, in the hopes of turning the facility into the regional recycler of Long Island. When the project is complete, Brookhaven expects increased revenue as a result of the expanded reach.