City of Philadelphia Streets Department Redesigns Curbside Recycling Process;
Adds Cardboard and #1 and #2 Plastic Containers

Recycling is about to get easier for nearly 123,000 Northeast Philadelphia residents.

Beginning July 10, 2006, residents will be able to put all recyclables together in one container for curbside collection.  And, for the first time, they will be able to add empty and flattened cardboard along with #1 and #2 plastic containers to their recyclables, City of Philadelphia Streets Commissioner Clarena I.W. Tolson announced today.

"We are making it even easier for Philadelphians to participate in residential recycling," said Commissioner Tolson.  "Those living in the Northeast Philadelphia vicinity will no longer need to sort and separate recyclables into different collection containers.  This innovative process requires little effort from participants and is designed to help Philadelphia collect and divert even more valuable commodities from our waste stream."

Previously, the City's Streets Department collected recyclables including tin and aluminum cans, glass jars and bottles and mixed paper items.  Now, Northeast Philadelphia residents will also be able to recycle cardboard and #1 and #2 plastics which are generally beverage and detergent containers.  Recyclers can look for the number on the bottom of the container to see if the item is acceptable.

Northeast Philadelphia residents may continue to use their blue recycling bins for curbside collection.  Should one bin not be enough to hold all recyclables, all residents need to do is add another container and mark it "recycling."

For more information about residential curbside recycling, please contact the City of Philadelphia's Streets Department by calling the recycling hotline at 215.685.RECYCLE (7329) or by visiting recyclingPAYS.phila.gov.