Turning NYC’s Waste Into Resources: Inside Cogent Waste’s Recycling Process
- conor2327
- Sep 9
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 16
In New York City, it’s often said that “no one recycles.” But at Cogent Waste, we’re proving that perception wrong every single day. From cardboard to plastics to metals, we handle hundreds of tons of recyclable materials each night, keeping them out of landfills and giving them new life.
For a closer look at how all that happens, step inside our Maspeth, Queens facility, where single-stream recycling from across the five boroughs is sorted, baled, and shipped for reuse.
Where NYC’s Recyclables Go
Every night, materials from businesses across Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, and parts of the Bronx arrive at our facility. Whether it’s recyclables collected from delis, supermarkets, laundromats, or office buildings, all of it comes here for careful sorting.
The Sorting Process
Initial Separation: Recyclables are unloaded and move through a star screen separator, which helps break down and organize the waste stream.
Teamwork on the Floor: Our crews separate paper, plastics, metals, and more into their proper categories. Cardboard is baled, scrap paper is sorted, and plastics are collected for reuse.
Metals and Special Plastics: Aluminum cans, foil, and scrap metal are pulled out for resale to scrap yards, where they’re processed and repurposed. Hard plastics—like milk crates or computer resin—are held aside for buyers who convert them into new and viable products.
From Waste to Reuse
The end result of this process is tight, clean bales of material that are ready to be shipped to end users. These recyclables are transformed into everything from fleece jackets to pens, or even reused as plastics in manufacturing.
By separating and preparing materials at this level, we help ensure that businesses’ recycling efforts actually make it back into the supply chain, rather than being lost in the waste stream.
Why It Matters
Recycling isn’t just about what you throw away. It’s also about what you choose to buy. When consumers and businesses purchase products that contain recycled materials, they help create demand for these resources. That demand keeps the recycling loop alive and helps build a cleaner, greener NYC.
Watch the Process in Action
This article only scratches the surface. To see the entire process—from unloading to baling—watch the video above and step inside Cogent Waste’s Maspeth facility.
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