QUESTION
What are the specific green jobs for processing organic waste, and which are entry-level?
0:30:10
·
3 min
The Deputy Commissioner does not provide specific details on green jobs related to organic waste processing but highlights the city's composting program and fiscal challenges.
- The question is suggested to be more appropriate for colleagues at city hall overseeing the green jobs initiative.
- The city's composting program is part of the green economy and achieved its largest ever organic diversion number in FY 23.
- Concerns are raised about the elimination of green jobs in community composting programs due to budget cuts.
- Private philanthropy has stepped in to fund community composting groups facing financial hardships.
Shaun Abreu
0:30:10
Can you name the green jobs that the city will likely be hiring in order to process organic waste?
0:30:16
And please specify which of these are entry level.
Christopher Leon Johnson
0:30:23
So
Joshua Goodman
0:30:27
broadly, this is a question better directed to our colleagues at city hall who are overseeing the city's larger efforts to expand green jobs.
0:30:34
But our composting program is part of the green economy and the city's commitment to a sustainable New York.
0:30:40
We're running the largest and easiest composting program ever.
0:30:43
Hit the largest ever organic diversion number in FY 23, which was even before the Brooklyn program came online.
0:30:50
And, you know, this sustainability program obviously fits very broadly into a commitment to green jobs and a green economy.
Shaun Abreu
0:30:56
So I'm I I mean, I I I take concern with the fact that we can't name the green jobs.
0:31:03
And and also by the same time, they're also eliminating green jobs on community composting.
0:31:07
I think this is a work there's a workforce issue here that the admin needs to to grapple with and and work on.
0:31:14
I wanna turn it over to community composting, and then I'll have my colleagues ask questions.
0:31:18
Community drop off sites and composting facilities have been faced with serious financial hardship in the wake of the mayor's most recent budget cuts.
0:31:26
They have had and long term programs and lay off much of their staff and the residents who depend on these programs had been robbed of an important community resource.
0:31:37
Just 3 years ago, when DSNY ended curbside collection of organic waste, These drop off sites were the only thing available to New Yorkers wanting to recycle organic waste, and they broke participation records.
0:31:49
Why is the city deciding now to defend these programs that have made such a positive impact?
Joshua Goodman
0:31:55
I wanna say a few things about this.
0:31:59
You know that the city is rolling out the largest and easiest curbside composting program ever, bringing service to every single residence in the city in a relatively quick timeline after many years of talk and stops and starts.
0:32:13
I think it's important to to state for the record that we would not be in this position today to roll out this program if it weren't for the work of the community composters.
0:32:24
Community composting organizations spent decades advocating for beneficial reuse of compostable material for getting it out of landfill.
0:32:33
Providing to your point, providing opportunities to do so when they were the only thing available, when there was very little else available broadly at the height of the pandemic.
0:32:42
We are so thankful for their work, their advocacy, appreciative of everything they've done.
0:32:49
Myr's been very clear.
0:32:50
This is an incredibly challenging fiscal climate that the city is facing today.
0:32:57
Significant and difficult cuts have been made across city agencies and the sanitation department as well.
0:33:06
We were very happy to hear that private philanthropy has stepped in to fund the community composting groups.
