Dive Brief:

• NYC has announced proposed rules to the city's commercial recycling requirements that would eliminate any distinction between businesses, allowing the same recycling rules to apply to all businesses that use private carters. Under the current rules, certain types of businesses are required to recycle different material than other businesses. 
• The proposed rules would designate a number of recyclable materials to the list of items that businesses receiving private carter collection are required to recycle; prohibit the commingling of any designated recyclable materials with solid waste; allow private carters to utilize single-stream collection and recycling; require generators of private carter collected waste to post signs labeling the recyclable materials needed to be collected; and more. 
• If the proposal is adopted, the rules would take effect on July 2016, and businesses will have until July 2017 to comply before violations are written. 

Dive Insight:

New rules and regulations proposed by the NYC Department of Sanitation are all aimed at helping the city reach its zero waste goals. The city has also recently rolled out a ban on Styrofoam, new composting rules, and an e-waste recycling program that serves more than 1 million residents in the city. 

"To help New York City reach its zero waste goals, we need to streamline recycling rules for businesses to make it easier for them to comply," said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia to Waste360. "The same recycling rules should apply whether you are at home, at work or at school. These rules will help make recycling more uniform across all businesses–office buildings, retail establishments, food stores and all others will now have similar rules."

The Department of Sanitation will accept comments regarding the rules until a public hearing on Oct. 22.