DiNapoli: Audit Finds New York Can’t Reliably Measure How Much Waste Is Recycled

An audit by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found the Department of Environ mental Conservation (DEC) lacks reliable information on how much material is recycled across New York state. Auditors found missing reports, inaccurate data and inconsistent over sight of recycling facilities are limiting the state’s ability to accurately mea sure recycling efforts and track progress toward its environmental and emissions reduction goals. According to DEC, solid waste accounts for about 12% of New York’s green house gas emissions.

The audit examined whether DEC’s monitoring, inspection, and enforcement actions pro vided adequate oversight of recycling facilities between January 2021 and December 2023.

MISSING REPORTS AND INCOMPLETE DATA

Recycling facilities should have submit ted 1,065 annual reports during the audit period detailing how much material they received, recycled and discarded. Auditors found DEC did not receive 341 of those reports, nearly one-third of the total required.

Of the reports that were submitted, nearly two-thirds were missing required information nec essary to determine how much waste was actually recycled. As a result, DEC lacks complete statewide recycling data.

DEC COULD NOT VERIFY REPORTED RECYCLING DATA

The audit found recy cling facilities could not always verify the information reported to DEC. Auditors reviewed a sample of facilities and found many could not provide records supporting how much material they received, how much was recycled and how much ultimately ended up as waste.

The audit also found many facilities failed to report how much mate rial they discarded rather than recycled. Without that information, DEC may not know how much waste is ultimately being diverted from landfills and how much is being thrown away.

INCONSISTENT INSPECTIONS AND ENFORCEMENT

Auditors found that 138 of 389 registered and permitted recycling facilities, or 35%, were not inspected during the three-year audit period. Inspections are important because they are DEC’s primary tool for verifying the information facilities report and identifying potential compliance issues.

The audit also found enforcement actions were limited. Although 33 facil ities failed to submit any annual report during the audit period, DEC issued violations to only three facilities.