The Department of Sanitation has created “Zero Waste Guidelines” in partnership with GrowNYC to reduce city government spending on waste. There are several reasons why New York City’s goal of Zero Waste by 2030 may not be feasible. First, the city’s commercial recycling is accounts for one-third of the city’s waste stream. In 2017, commercial businesses land-filled 1,800,000 tons of waste. Setting waste reduction goals has shown to be successful in Los Angeles. Commercial businesses and private waste industries are crucial stakeholders in curbing waste. Second, there are challenges to increasing apartment recycling. Current infrastructure lacks the necessary space needed to include recycling bins for convenience. Finally, there is a lack of radical initiatives to reduce waste. New York City produces 12,000 tons of waste every day and there are delays in radical changes to shift the city’s wasteful culture. Mayor Bill de Blasio needs to hold private sector businesses accountable for inactivity on waste reduction.
Engaging Commercial Stakeholders
Reaching the goal of Zero Waste by 2030 seems unreachable considering New York City’s population of 8.5 million and constant flow of tourism. The city’s robust productivity will inevitably result in trash. Commercial businesses have self-reported recycling at 21%, lower than previous years. It is critical for commercial businesses to reduce waste and increase recycling to meet the its targets. Since private waste industries oversee commercial waste and commitments are not enforceable, New York City should adopt initiatives used by Los Angeles to impose financial penalties and bonuses. Los Angeles’s commercial haulers are responsible for measuring, tracking, and reducing the amount of waste generated by all of the customers within the zone they are assigned. Private waste industries will therefore be held liable for excessive waste.
The incentives for haulers have been proven to be successful in diverting recyclable material from ending in landfill. Cities such as San Jose have reported diversion rate as high as 77%. With initiatives to encourage recycling, partnerships between businesses and communities can become stronger. In addition, commercial businesses and private waste industries will work together to committing and reaching goals. New York City’s dense infrastructure has made it challenging for residents to recycle.
Involving Individual Decision-Makers
The city’s population has increased by 5.5% from April 2010 to July 2017, but waste reduction has remained stagnant. Between 2005 and 2017, there has been a decrease of 400,000 tons of waste. As a consequence of challenges of increasing apartment recycling in NYC, the Department of Sanitation spent millions of dollars more to combat the growing curbside trash in 2016. Co-locating recycling bins in well-trafficked spaces such as in front of the building can reduce waste. The task of sorting additional materials aside from trash can be overwhelming for property managers and superintendents that are responsible for building maintenance.
It is imperative that decision-makers take advantage of recycling programs that can ease the complexities of sorting food scraps, textiles, and electronics. Breaking down the barriers between residents and recycling is important to ensure greater willingness to participate in reducing waste. If decision-makers decide against recycling programs, they should have the responsibility to have a conversation with their tenants about where they can take their recyclables. Residents play a huge role in contributing to waste. New Yorkers need to radically change their consumption in order to affect change.
Governmental Sustainability Initiatives
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s initiative to ban the single-use plastic bags is currently delayed even though plastic bags contribute to 7.5% of New York City’s waste stream. Although the plastic bag ban and 5-cent fees can encourage consumer consciousness, New Yorkers’ lifestyles and culture needs to change. The Zero Waste by 2030 initiative is working with GrowNYC, a non-profit organization, to educate the public about sustainability. The organization hosts events such as, “Stop ‘N’ Swap,” where community members can either donate or exchange unwanted clothing that would otherwise go to the landfill.
GrowNYC also educates the public on how to recycle and compost. In addition to regulating wasteful materials such as plastic bags, the city government they must continue to collaborate with and fund more organizations like GrowNYC. Another organization that can tackle waste management in the city is NYC Cleanup, which includes previously homeless and incarcerated individuals in advancing the goal of Zero Waste by 2030. It is crucial to include every stakeholder and decision maker if New York City wants to achieve this ambitious milestone.
The environment we live in can be sustainable only if there are strong initiatives to shift notions on recycling. One can reduce waste by simply refusing single-use plastic bags and using a reusable bag. Another person can reuse a pair of jeans you no longer wear. You can recycle valuable resources such as paper. Incremental change in perceptions will drive New York City towards its goal of Zero Waste by 2030.