Share and Learn – Sustainable Recycling in NYC: Tour the SMR Sunset Park Materials Recovery Facility

Join us for a FREE guided tour of SMR’s Sunset Park Materials Recovery Facility, courtesy of our June Speaking of Science guest Ron Gonen.

Our guide will do a presentation on the history of the facility and recycling in NYC, and review the facility’s operations and how recycling works in NYC and in general. Visitors will also view the state-of-the-art facility from a viewing deck and questions are welcome throughout the tour.

About the SMR facility:

NYC operates the largest curbside recycling program in the United States. SMR services the City of New York with its facilities in Queens, the Bronx and Jersey City, and its newest Brooklyn location which opened in 2013, the Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility (MRF). The Brooklyn plant is the largest commingled recycling facility in North America. SMR is the processor of 100% of the metal, glass and plastic and 50% of the paper collected by the NYC Department of Sanitation throughout the five boroughs.

A safety waiver (download) must be completed and either emailed to the tour guide ahead of time or brought in-person (guide email address is available to registrants). Printed copies will also be available on-site. Closed-toe shoes are recommended. Children second grade and above are welcome to join with a parent or guardian and safety waver.

For questions, please contact organizing member Carol Portlock.

This tour is limited to 30 participants. Please RSVP by September 21 here.

We will meet at the facility just before 10:00am. Afterwards we’ll eat lunch at Industry City food hall.

Tour Location: SMR Recycling, 472 2nd Ave., Brooklyn, NY, 11232 (Google Maps)

The Brooklyn facility is located at the end of 29th Street, by the water and the wind turbine. They are a 15 to 20 minute walk from the subway and have free parking on site!

If you take the subway, you can take the D/N/R to 36th St. The station is at 36th St. and 4th Ave. Walk up 4th Ave. and turn left on 29th St. Walk all the way down 29th St. – past 3rd Ave, past 2nd Ave., past the gates of our facility. Walk up to the security guard booth. Inform the guard you are here for a tour. The guard will direct you to a pedestrian walkway on the right that will lead to our Administration Building & Recycling Education Center. Please remain on the walkway and do not walk through the parking lot.

If you are driving from the north (Manhattan, Queens, etc.), you can take the BQE to exit 23, 39th St. Turn right on 2nd Avenue. Continue almost to the end of the road. Turn left on 29th St. Continue past gates to security booth.

If you are driving from the south (South Brooklyn, NJ, etc.), you can take the BQE to 3rd Avenue. Continue on 3rd Avenue turning left on 34th St. Turn right on 2nd Avenue. Continue almost to the end of the road. Turn left on 29th St. Continue past gates to security booth.

** When in doubt, go towards the wind turbine! **