Metropolitan Recycling

An urban recycling center in East New York that locals drop off household recyclables and small bulk items at. Neighbors, landscapers and folks clearing out apartments use the place to keep stuff out of the landfill rather than hauling it away with curbside pickup.

Drive into a fenced lot with an entry booth and a scale; the booth is usually the first thing visible from the street. Pull up slowly because traffic and trucks move around the yard, and the recycling bins and roll-offs sit a short drive past the entrance. Typical materials handled at centers like this include paper and cardboard, metal cans, plastic bottles and glass, and there are often spots for larger items or special drop-offs. Weekends and spring cleanup periods get noticeably busy, so there can be a line to get in and to be weighed on the way out.