Increased reuse, recycling and composting not only significantly reduces the amount of materials that would end up in landfills, it has an immediate and direct economic benefit.

Through recycling, industries have access to locally-generated recovered and processed materials, which can take the place of virgin materials often mined and processed outside of the region.  This practice reduces costs and keeps jobs and materials local.  In New York, nearly 4,000 recycling and reuse businesses employ more than 32,000 individuals. 

Empire State Development (ESD), New York’s economic development agency, offers a broad spectrum of financial and technical assistance services to help New York firms capitalize on the economic benefits of clean manufacturing, recycling and the development of new green products, process technologies and construction practices.  

To encourage greater recycling and market development in New York, ESD, together with support from the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC), maintains an online database of recycling markets in New York and the Northeast.

The New York Recycling Markets Database fosters reuse and recycling market development for New York and the region, offering more than 1,000 listings of materials brokers, collectors/haulers, processors, composters and manufacturers.  The majority of the listings (710) are located in New York.

The database helps generators find haulers and processors for materials from paper to pallets.  It helps manufacturers locate secondary (“recycled’) feed stocks needed for production and increases the visibility of recycling businesses, helping them gain new customers.  Furthermore, the New York Recycling Markets Database lists 90 New York businesses that use recycled materials to make new products.

 On the site, user-friendly search mechanisms help generators locate reuse and recycling outlets by material type, business type, location, or company name.  All business listings are comprehensive and up-to-date. Visit www.esd.ny.gov/recycle to access the membership- and subscription-free database at no charge.  

The New York Recycling Markets Database is housed in ESD’s Secondary Market Information Portal (www.esd.ny.gov/recycle), which serves as a resource center for businesses that want to include recycling or recycled products in their operations. 

For more information on the database contact Athena Lee Bradley, Projects Manager, Northeast Recycling Council at athena@nerc.org or 802-254-3636.