VESTAL, NY (WSKG) — Single-use plastic bags should not be put out with the recycling in Binghamton.
City sanitation crews will not pick up residents' recycling if the bin contains a plastic bag. Instead, they will put a bright-green sticker on the bin that explains the city's policy and gives a phone number people can call with questions.
Mayor Rich David said in a statement that the bags clog equipment used to sort materials. "This slows the recycling process and can damage the facilities’ machinery," he explained.
A ban on single-use plastic bags was included in the New York state budget this year, and takes effect March 2020.