REMARKS
Council Member Shaun Abreu Opens Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management Oversight Hearing on Organic Waste
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5 min
Council Member Shaun Abreu emphasizes the critical role of composting and organic waste management in New York City's sustainability and waste diversion efforts.
- Emphasizes the importance of composting programs in reducing landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Highlights the need for citywide support and expansion of organic waste collection to achieve zero waste goals.
- Criticizes potential budget cuts that threaten the progress of composting infrastructure and community-driven efforts.
- Announces the agenda for the hearing, including testimonies from the Department of Sanitation, environmental justice advocates, and discussions on related proposed bills.
- Advocates for stronger stakeholder involvement and investment in community composting programs.
Shaun Abreu
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Good morning, everyone.
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I am chair Sean O'Brieu.
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Welcome to the Committee on Sanitation And Solid Waste Management's Oversight Hearing.
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On the city's infrastructure to handle and process organic waste.
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Thank you, members of the committee, the Department of Sanitation, and advocates for joining us today.
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Comp posting programs are vital to our city's waste diversion and sustainability goals.
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The food waste that we send to rot in landfills every day ends up emitting greenhouse gases and worsening our climate crisis.
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The more of it we can divert towards beneficial reuses, the better for us as a city and a planet.
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We are already living with the effects of climate change here in New York City.
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Extreme weather conditions have damaged our homes, indeed endangered our health, tested and destroyed our infrastructure, and made our day to day lives less comfortable.
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We can't afford to wait any longer making progress towards achieving 0 waste.
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The city has committed to sending 0 waste to landfills by 2030, but we have made little progress to achieve that goal.
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Our waste diversion statistics are deeply disappointing compared to other sizable cities such as Phoenix and Seattle.
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To get there, we must take seriously our ways to version goals and organics programming.
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Well, cannot be reused, must be recycled.
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The proper disposal and processing of organic waste reduces the amount of refuse sent to landfills.
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Cuts down on emissions and ultimately saves our city money as we realize the benefits of reusing organic materials.
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Composting in particular offers a way to support our agriculture and transform our waste into a valuable and marketable product.
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This is not the time to diminish support for the critical work of community composters.
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There is no justification for delaying until the last possible moment the implementation of curbside collection of organic waste.
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I wanna take a moment to uplift the work of community groups, that have envisioned a different future for this city and that have fought tirelessly to make it a reality.
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I see you here today, and I thank you for joining us.
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We are here because of all the people who have fought to organize, who have volunteer their time and resources.
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And who have rallied to establish the composting infrastructure that we have today.
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It is thanks to these community groups that we were able to build the momentum that helped us expand the SNY's curbside collection of organic waste.
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It is unacceptable, and I must say it is unacceptable.
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That despite all the work that's been done to build up the city's composting infrastructure and educational outreach.
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We are facing budget cuts that could reverse the progress these groups have made.
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I wanna be clear.
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The city already spends 100 of 1,000,000 of dollars on organics right now.
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By sending it to landfills and incinerators.
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With organics collection set to go citywide later this year, it's incumbent upon us to strengthen the programming that we know works and keep fighting for expansion transparency, and stakeholder involvement in what could be the most successful organic diversion program in the country, if done right.
0:03:49
During today's hearing, I wanna learn about the city's long term plan to support community composting.
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We need to work together to develop solutions so that the community groups who administer these programs, important programs can plan their futures and continue delivering localized, culturally competent, and engaging composting programs.
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I also want to learn about the actions that the city is planning to take to prioritize composting for the processing of organic waste as required by law.
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I look forward to hearing testimony from DSNY environmental justice advocates, and other interested groups who can offer any advice for how the city could be doing more to reduce waste.
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And how to protect composting as an important part of the city's work to process organic waste.
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I would like to thank everyone on my team and council staff for their work on these bills and for their efforts in moving this committee forward.
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I would also When they get here, I'd like to acknowledge some of my colleagues.
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In addition to conducting oversight, on the city's infrastructure to process organic waste.
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We will be hearing intro number 55, sponsored by council member Sandy Nurse, in relation to requiring Department of Sanitation to accept commercial solid waste as city owned or operated marine transfer stations and rail stations.
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Intro number 97, sponsored by council member, Sandra Ng, in relation to increasing civil penalties for repeated littering violations.
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A pre considered intro sponsored by Council member Lincoln Wrestler in relation to public organic waste receptacles.
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And a preconceived resolution sponsored by council member Sandy Nurse calling upon the Department of Sanitation and the Department of Parks And Recreation to continue to engage and collaborate with local communities to encourage and allow community composting to be carried out on Parkland.
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I'll wait for my colleagues to get here so they can speak about their bills.
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Today, we will begin with hearing with testimony from DSNY followed by members of the public.
