Next Steps 46 Local Law 77 <strong>Report</strong> <strong>2015</strong>
At the beginning of the <strong>NYC</strong> <strong>Organics</strong> <strong>Collection</strong> program, it was unclear whether New Yorkers would voluntarily separate their food scraps, yard waste, and food-soiled paper. In the early 1990s, the last time such a program had been tested, the results were disappointing, and the program was discontinued. Twenty years later, New York City is a vastly different place. The City has taken great steps toward being a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable place. We better understand and appreciate the relationship between our neighborhoods, infrastructure and natural environment. For example, the community gardens movement, which often goes hand-in-hand with community composting, links food security to community development and environmental education. Most importantly, there is a growing awareness today that our waste – whether organic and inorganic – does not really go “away” and that we share collective responsibility for what happens to it. The <strong>NYC</strong> <strong>Organics</strong> <strong>Collection</strong> pilot program has demonstrated that New Yorkers are ready and are willing to take part in this important civic undertaking. Today, DSNY collects more than ten thousand tons of organic waste per year, but that is still a still relatively small in comparison to the more than one million tons of organic waste disposed of by New Yorkers each year. The following are recommendations to build on this early success to develop a robust, sustainable, and cost-effective organic waste management program in New York City. Continue and Grow the <strong>Organics</strong> <strong>Collection</strong> Pilot “It certainly should be mandatory, I think people can adjust. I think probably in larger developments or smaller apartments there may be some things that you have to adjust to, but it has reduced my garbage, in fact my second pick up of the week I really don’t have anything to throw out. We’re seeing in our household a definite reduction of garbage. A colleague has been composting for years and said they have very little garbage and I’m finding that out actually.” —Robert H., Queens In April, Mayor de Blasio released One New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just City. As part of One<strong>NYC</strong>’s ambitious Zero Waste goals, the Mayor announced a goal to expand the <strong>NYC</strong> <strong>Organics</strong> Program to serve all New Yorkers by the end of 2018, through either curbside collection or convenient local drop-off sites. DSNY will meet that goal by continuing to expand both the curbside and drop-off programs, beginning with the first two full-district curbside collection pilot areas this fall. In October <strong>2015</strong>, we will be introducing organics recycling in two new areas: the remainder of Brooklyn District 6 and all of Queens District 10. We will also add more high-rise apartment buildings to the program. In total, DSNY will expand service this fall to more than 50,000 additional households, bringing the total number of households served to nearly 210,000. Next year, DSNY will continue to expand the curbside program, with the goal of serving a total of one million New Yorkers in 380,000 households by the end of 2016. At the same time, we will launch the first 100 Zero Waste Schools, with a goal of diverting all recyclable and compostable waste from those schools within five years. For the residential program, we will continue to pursue a voluntary approach, building on and reinforcing the extensive outreach and education we have carried out over the past two years. We will leverage our strategic partnerships with nonprofit organizations to promote the program in conjunction with mailings, online media, and field outreach. Our best educational and operational tool will continue to be the brown bin itself. The bin conveys a powerful message of safety, organization and commitment on the part of the City help <strong>NYC</strong> Department of Sanitation 47