PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Mary Arnold, Representative of Solid Waste Advisory Board on Waste Composition Studies
1:41:24
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120 sec
Mary Arnold, representing the Solid Waste Advisory Boards of several NYC boroughs, strongly supports the passage of Intro 697, which would amend Local Law 40 of 2010 regarding waste composition studies. She emphasizes the importance of these studies in providing critical insights into waste management and guiding policy decisions.
- Arnold highlights how past studies have tracked changes in waste streams and assessed the success of initiatives like plastic bag bans.
- She suggests enhancing future studies by reclassifying materials into durable and non-durable categories to better guide zero waste efforts.
- The testimony underscores the need for continued waste composition studies and improved data presentation to support waste reduction goals.
Mary Arnold
1:41:24
Thank you, Tara, bro.
1:41:26
Mary Arnold, testifying for the solid waste advisory boards of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.
1:41:33
We strongly support the passage of intro 6 97, which would amend local law 40 of 2010.
1:41:41
Since the passage of local laws 198940 of 2010, 6 waste composition studies have been conducted.
1:41:50
Between 19902023.
1:41:53
Each study offers a detailed analysis of the residential waste streams, examining materials such as metal, glass paper, textiles, and organics, These reports provide critical insights into the management of our city's waste, showing not just what materials are collected, but also why summer recycled and others are not.
1:42:13
For instance, they reveal that Manhattan residents excel at recycling cardboard while Sunbrookland Neighborhoods lead in food script diversion, helping policymakers refine and improve recycling programs.
1:42:25
Historically, these studies have tracked the rise and fall of various waste streams, such as juice boxes and phone books, and assess the success of policy initiatives like the bans, an expanded polystyrene, and plastic shopping bags.
1:42:39
In 2018, New York City has 10,000,000,000 plastic bags annually.
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Today, that number is dramatically reduced thanks to insights provided by these studies.
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Looking forward, it is crucial not only to continue these studies, but to enhance them.
1:42:56
Future studies should present data in ways that support the elimination of non recyclable packaging and products by reclassifying materials into durable and nondurable categories and further segmenting durables is repairable, reusable, or reducible, we can better guide efforts toward an achievable zero waste goal, which also to echo the last speaker, has to be supported by education.
1:43:23
Thank you.
