Bet the environmentalists are in a tizzy about this:
Mayor Bloomberg said it came as no surprise to him that an analysis by the New York City Independent Budget Office released yesterday found recycling metal, plastic, paper, and glass to be more expense than simply throwing them out. The budget office study concluded that recycling cost the city about $35 million more in 2002 than had conventional disposal methods of landfills and incinerators been employed. “The numbers have been out there for a long time. If you’ve listened, I’ve been saying it again and again and again,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “Anybody that thinks it saves money is just wrong.” The study was released to coincide with the city’s plan to restart weekly recycling and glass recycling this spring, after a year-long hiatus to save money. “You’ve got to drive two trucks with two crews down the same streets,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “It’s going to cost you more than if you do it once.”