QUESTION
How does the Department of Sanitation plan to prevent private waste haulers from mixing organic and non-organic waste, and what enforcement steps are taken against non-compliance?
0:50:21
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3 min
The Department of Sanitation outlines measures to ensure private waste hauling companies do not mix organic with non-organic waste and details enforcement plans for non-compliant businesses and carters.
- A commercial waste zones program will start this fall, granting authority to issue violations against carters for commingling organic and non-organic waste.
- Aggressive enforcement against non-compliant carters is planned, with sufficient staffing including sanitation police officers.
- The department seeks collaboration with the City Council on amending local law 146 of 2013 to update source separation requirements, reflecting changes since its enactment.
- Potential updates aim to enhance commercial waste programs and better align them with residential waste handling.
Shaun Abreu
0:50:21
Local law requires certain New York City food services advertisements and retail food stores to separate their organic waste.
0:50:28
And as we all know, businesses are not serviced by DSNY.
0:50:34
Businesses are not serviced by this and why but rather by private waste hauling companies, which will not be required to price the organics collection services lower than trash collection.
0:50:44
How will DS and Y along with BIC?
0:50:47
Ensure that private waste hauling companies are not commingling source separator organic waste with other refuse.
0:50:54
If doing so would hypothetically result in higher profit and lower operating costs for the waste hauler.
0:50:59
Yep.
Javier Lohan
0:51:01
So Commercial waste zones program will come into effect this fall.
0:51:07
And when it does, we have the we will have the authority to write violations to private Carters for commingling of organics were non organics.
0:51:15
And, you know, we we're looking to aggressively force this against Carter's who do not comply with these regulations.
0:51:20
So that is one of the things that we are, and we are staffed for that.
0:51:23
So we will be looking for that.
Shaun Abreu
0:51:25
What will it take to conduct enforcement against businesses and Carter's which refuse to comply with source separation or virements.
Javier Lohan
0:51:35
Are you referring to, you know, specifics of, like, what the components of the like, our enforcement officers will have to do or exactly what what I
Shaun Abreu
0:51:45
guess, we'll we'll from an agency perspective and resources What would it take for DSNY to enforce businesses and Carter's that are refusing to comply with source separation requirements?
0:51:58
And also, how do you see the council being helpful here in terms of I don't know if there's any additional legislation that we should be pursuing that would enhance source separation for for commercial businesses?
Javier Lohan
0:52:10
Yeah.
0:52:11
So one of the things that we as I mentioned, we do have sanitation police officers staffed once the commercial waste program begins.
0:52:21
I guess depending on, you know, the violations we find when it rolls out, we will adjust accordingly.
0:52:27
But for now, we we feel like we have enough sufficient police all percentage police officers to enforce this.
Joshua Goodman
0:52:35
On your question about a role for the council on this, which I really, really, we appreciate the question very much.
0:52:40
Commercial or annex is currently governed under a local law 146 of 2013.
0:52:45
This law was written in a very different time, and we would love to look at it together with the and work on possible updates.
0:52:52
For example, the fact that it only covers back of house material, there's a lot of room to see how to bring the commercial program more in line with the residential program.
Shaun Abreu
0:53:00
So you think there's a lot more we can do to divert organically.
Joshua Goodman
0:53:04
There probably there is certainly a lot to look at him.
0:53:06
And the law is now eleven years old.
0:53:08
It was the process.
0:53:09
It was the result of complex negotiations more than a decade ago, and we we would love to take a look at what an update to that law might be.
Shaun Abreu
0:53:17
I would like to recognize council member, Hanif, and council member, Hanif, if you have questions now is your time.
