NOW AND AFTER THE PANDEMIC IS OVER: The smart way for cash-strapped cities to save money and protect workers: Stop recycling. Howard Husock calculates that New York City could save nearly $200 million annually by scrapping its recycling program and sending stuff straight to the landfill. And it would spare trash collectors and other workers from the risk of handling recyclables with Covid-19 and other pathogens. If Bill di Blasio and other mayors want their pleas for federal aid to be taken seriously, they need to show they’re serious about eliminating waste.