The shortage of recycling services at Betances Houses in Mott Haven is described in the lawsuit as “bins are too small and there are no signs indicating residents can toss their recycling there.” (Photo by Jim Henderson, Creative Commons license)
Environmental justice groups Morningside Heights-West Harlem Sanitation Coalition, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, and Mothers on the Move have filed a lawsuit against the New York City Housing Authority over failure to separate recyclable goods from regular trash, in accordance with city regulations, reports Joe Hirsch for Mott Haven Herald. Instead, the groups claim, everything is thrown together and sent off to landfills and incinerators.
In a letter to NYCHA’s chair and CEO Shola Olatoye, lawyers for the Natural Resources Defense Council, which represents the groups filing the suit, say NYCHA has failed to comply with a 25 year-old law mandating recycling in public housing.
“Because of NYCHA’s failure to provide recycling at all of the buildings under its control, more than 1,000 tons a week of recyclables generated at NYCHA developments are bypassing recycling facilities and are instead being sent to landfills and incinerators,” the letter reads.
The lawsuit outlines the recycling violations at five South Bronx developments:
- Betances Houses-Bins are too small and there are no signs indicating residents can toss their recycling there.
- Andrew Jackson Houses-There are no bins or signs for recycling. Trash piled up at both the 765 and 785 Courtlandt Ave. entrances contained unseparated landfill trash and recyclables.
- Melrose Houses-No recycling bins or signs.
- Mott Haven Houses-Bins are too small, causing tenants to throw recyclables in with trash. No signs.
- Patterson Houses-Some bins were unused and no bags supplied, while others were snowed in during the winter.
If NYCHA does not bring forth concrete solutions within the next two months, plaintiffs say they will go ahead with court proceedings.
Go to Mott Haven Herald to read about a door-to-door recycling proposal from a Mott Haven Houses resident, and why “installing bins alone isn’t going to solve the problem.”