Recycling

How Much Does New York Actually Recycle? The N.Y. Comptroller Says the State Doesn't Really Know.

A comptroller audit says New York State's recycling data are unreliable.

Meagan O'Rourke | 8.12.2026 1:40 PM

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(Illustration: Midjourney)

Many people are familiar with the three R's: reduce, reuse, recycle. Now, the Office of the New York State Comptroller is asking an environmental conservation agency to get better at a fourth R: recordkeeping. That's because the state agency has not been adequately recording recycling data, according to a newly released audit by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. 

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is responsible for monitoring recycling facilities throughout the state, including Recyclables Handling and Recovery Facilities (RHRFs). According to the comptroller's........

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