LINCOLN SQUARE — Recycling just got snazzier.
Eleven pairs of recycling bins made their debut in Lincoln Square earlier this month as part of a massive rollout of the redesigned containers, officials said.
At $1,050 apiece, the state-of-the-art bins are the city's latest iteration of recycling receptacles, which Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty described as "high end" while joining Lincoln Square Business Improvement District President Monica Blum for their official unveiling Thursday.
"It's a better design," Doherty said.
Not only are the bins stronger and sturdier, he noted, they have magnets on their doors that force them to close if scavengers leave them open after fishing out recyclables.
A total of 500 of the large metal cylinders — which feature with a thin opening at the top to insert paper, plastic, cans or bottles — are currently scattered in high-density areas across the five boroughs, with another 3,500 to be rolled out by April 1, Doherty said.
The BID staff will care for the new Lincoln Square bins, wiping them down and keeping them looking clean, Blum noted.
It was her idea to keep the pair of recycling bins on corners separate from regular trash cans so that people are forced to think about recycling, rather than just throwing their bottles and papers in the trash — an plan Doherty liked, he said.
"In New York City, people are only [recycling] about 15 percent [of their waste]," he explained.
Street-level recycling can also have an impact on people's actions at home, Doherty added.
"If they think about it here, hopefully they'll do it at home," he said. "Hopefully it will sink in."
Since their installation at 11 intersections between West 58th and West 70th streets, the sidewalks have become cleaner, Blum said.
"We've already gotten comments that [the bins are] sleek looking," she said.
