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The New York City Waste Prevention
Coalition today released report detailing alternatives to NYC Mayor's proposal
to cut all Waste Prevention, Composting and MGP Recycling - use links to see
report and/or read the press release below.
Press Release follows:
Don’t Kill
It, Fix It!
City-Wide Group Releases New Report Detailing
Ways City Can Save Recycling, Waste Prevention Programs and Generate Savings,
Revenue; $35
+ Million in Savings Identified in Report Today, the New York City
Waste Prevention Coalition released a new report, “Why Waste the Future? Alternatives to the Mayor’s Proposed
Waste Prevention, Composting and Recycling Cuts,” which details ways
in which the City can retain its recycling, waste prevention and composting
programs, by outlining budget savings and revenue generating ideas – to the tune
of more than $35 million.
The Coalition, a network of
organizations and individuals dedicated to promoting waste prevention as the
most responsible, environmentally sound and cost-effective means to solve the
City’s mounting solid waste problems, presented four broad categories of
recommendations in its report: ·
The City
has overstated alleged “potential savings” to be found in cutting metal, glass
and plastic recycling by nearly $12 million. ·
The City
needs to invest in recycling infrastructure: o
The City
should build a publicly owned MRF.
A Columbia University Study estimates that the City could save over $20
million per year by building a publicly owned recyclables sorting
facility. o
The City
needs to promote recycling business development. The Visy paper mill on Staten
Island stands out as a recycling business success story, but the City hasn’t
tried to copy this success by targeting other recyclable materials for similar
business development. ·
The City
can raise revenues by: o
Imposing
a fee on CFC removal services. The
service is now free, and imposing a small, $20. fee would raise approximately
$2.9 million a year. o Increasing the number of recycling violations and expanding the size of the enforcement force. One of the weakest parts of all the recycling and waste programs is the enforcement of rules, and the leveling of fines for those who break the rules. Stricter enforcement would not only force many institutions and individuals to take recycling and waste management seriously, it could raise between $1.6 and $11 million per year. ·
The City
can cut costs by making some changes to the Department of Sanitation’s
collection policies. The report identifies four changes that together will save
between $17.5 and $21.5 million per year:
o
Ban the
collection of grass clippings.
Encouraging “leave-it-on-the-lawn” programs could save the City $7-10
million per year. o
Eliminate work rules that
create inefficient collection routes. o
Eliminate extra waste
collection pickups. Even though the
City added additional collection routes to handle recyclable materials nearly 10
years ago, changes were never made to regular collection routes, even though
recycling actually eliminates a significant part of the waste stream. Estimated savings--up to $9.3 million a
year. o
Expand
dual bin truck use. The Department of Sanitation claims it uses dual bin trucks
in all neighborhoods “where they make economic sense.” This is clearly not the case. Adding
neighborhoods could save as much as $1.2 – 2.2 million per
year. The Coalition report also
outlines a “Five –Year Action Plan” for increasing and phasing in waste
prevention, recycling and composting programs in communities, City agencies and
the private sector. “The New York Waste
Prevention Coalition has done research and proposed various new ideas in ‘Why
Waste the Future’ which would save, nearly dollar for dollar, the amount of
money the Mayor has proposed slashing from the budget for these programs and
these changes can be implemented by July 1st,” said Timothy J.W. Logan, Chair of
the Waste Prevention Coalition. “New York City’s waste
management system is at a critical juncture. Waste export costs are ballooning, but,
unfortunately, the Mayor’s proposed solution – saving money by cutting waste
prevention, recycling and composting programs – takes the City’s waste
management system back toward policies that the public and elected officials
long-ago rejected. Our report presents recommendations that can save money and
even raise revenues without jeopardizing a truly cost-effective, equitable and
environmentally sound waste strategy,” commented Dr. Majorie J. Clarke,
Vice-Chair of the NYC Waste Prevention Coalition. Also present at the briefing
were numerous Coalition supporting organizations as well as members and staff of
Council members. The briefing was held immediately after the City Council held
hearings on the Department of Sanitation’s proposed
budget. "The
Sanitation and Solid Waste Committee, which I chair, would like to applaud the
Waste Prevention Coalition for their efforts in putting together this
report. This is the type of research and thinking that the Department
of Sanitation should be doing, finding ways to save money, keep reducing and
recycling waste, and save valuable public and private jobs that fuel our City's
tax base," said Councilmember Michael McMahon (D-SI). “The Mayor’s proposed cuts
to these important programs are not only bad for the City, but fly in the face
of State programs and law as well,” said Sue Craine, consumer advocate from the
New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). “The proposed cuts threaten to
take us all back to a time when streets were dirtier and government didn’t seem
to care about the condition of the environment in our neighborhoods,” she
added. “These programs are needed,
and we’ve found ways to keep them that are both environmentally and fiscally
sound. Our message to the Mayor is, ‘Don’t kill it, fix it,’” said Mr.
Logan. |