AGENCY TESTIMONY
Response to Intros 698 and 781 on composting and food scrap drop-offs
0:16:54
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96 sec
Commissioner Tisch provides contrasting responses to Intros 698 and 781, both sponsored by Council Member Nurse, regarding composting and food scrap drop-offs.
- Strongly supports Intro 781, which expands composting requirements to all city agency buildings
- Opposes Intro 698, which could restrict access to composting by declaring that the smart bin program does not comply with existing legislation
- Highlights the popularity of the smart bin program, with over 1,200,000 uses in fiscal year 2024
- Expresses concern that Intro 698 could make it difficult to justify the operating expenses of smart bins
Jessica Tisch
0:16:54
The next two bills on the agenda today, intra 698 and intra 781, both sponsored by council member nurse, are a study in contrast around the diversion of beneficial reuse of compostable material.
0:17:09
Intra 781 expands composting, requiring source separation at all city agency buildings.
0:17:15
Mayor Adams made a promise that all DOE schools would separate their compost, and earlier this year, that promise was kept.
0:17:23
With DOE already participating in this important program, DSNY supports this bill strongly.
0:17:29
All residents and some businesses have to separate their compostable material, and city government should as well.
0:17:36
It is frustrating then that council member nurse's other bill, intro 698, could actually restrict access to composting by taking our extremely popular smart bin program and arbitrarily declaring that it does not comply with the existing legislation around food scrap drop offs, in particular, local law 89 of 2023.
0:18:00
This program is beloved, being used over 1,200,000 times in fiscal year 24.
0:18:08
Why then would the council simply say that it doesn't count even though every single use of these smart bins keeps material out of landfill?
0:18:19
It will be difficult for d s and y to justify the operating expenses of the smart bins if this legislation passes, and I must strongly oppose so that New Yorkers can continue to compost easily.
