New North Hempstead Recycling Program Targets Your Coffee Lids

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — The Town of North Hempstead plans to launch a new recycling program next year to help residents properly dispose of common, lightweight plastics such as coffee lids, yogurt cups and shampoo bottles that often litter the environment.

Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the Town Board announced the new recycling program Wednesday that will allow residents to bring No. 5 plastic items to the town’s Residential Drop Off at 999 West Shore Rd. The service is free and can be done between 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sundays when the site is operating.

"Preserving our environment for future generations is so important," Bosworth said in a news release. "No. 5 plastics include items such as yogurt cups, shampoo bottles and more. They are hard and heat-resistant, and can result in contamination of recyclables. We are thrilled to be able to offer this program for residents to help reduce their waste and to keep these plastics out of our landfills."

No. 5 plastics are made of polypropylene and cannot be combined with other household plastic recyclables. They must be separated from Nos. 1 and 2 plastic and have to be cleaned before they're brought to the drop-off location.

No. 5 plastics are identified by a chasing arrow symbol with the number "5" in the center. Companies such as Starbucks and Dunkin' use the plastic.

Scientists estimate that 17 billion pounds of plastic flow into the ocean every year, according to the influential environmental group Sierra Club. Nearly every type of commercial plastic is found in aquatic or marine debris, but the floating components are "dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene" due to their mass production, wide-ranging use and buoyancy, the federal Environmental Protection Agency said on its website.

"The presence of plastics has been documented throughout the water column, including on the sea floor of nearly every ocean and sea," the EPA said. "Global trends suggest that accumulations are increasing in aquatic habitats, consistent with trends in plastic production."