I popped into 16 Handles at 3 Nassau Blvd today. It was my third time there since it opened in the fall of 2014. For those who haven’t yet been, 16 Handles is a self-serve froyo shop with an emphasis on being “green”.

The location is very clean and bright. The bold colors really give it some kick. The staff is friendly and offers tastings of any flavor you’d like to try before committing to it with a big cup. One cool feature is the screens posted above the flavors which contain the nutritional information of each yogurt. That’s something they’ve got over TCBY. The froyo has been pretty good each time I’ve been and there’s a nice variety of toppings.

As I was on my way out, separating my trash from my recyclables (because the trash canisters are divided into separate trash and recycle sections), I noticed that the actual canister below was one big trash bin. In other words, it appears that 16 Handles is separating and recycling, but the reality is that it all goes into the same trash can underneath. This alone wouldn’t be a big catastrophe- many restaurants don’t recycle- but I’m not a fan of these deceptive trash bins. I spoke with an employee there who confirmed that they do not recycle, they just use the recycle bins.

Take a look next time you visit 16 Handles. Tsk Tsk.