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TESTIMONY
Samantha McBride, Professor at Baruch College, on the Performance Analysis of Queens' Residential Curbside Organics Collection Program
2:13:12
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123 sec
Dr. Samantha McBride presents her findings on the inadequate performance of Queens' residential curbside organics collection program.
- Dr. McBride uses monthly tonnages, the 2017 waste characterization study, and U.S. census data for her analysis.
- In 2023, only 4.3% of potential residential curbside organics are collected, with 95.7% ending in trash.
- An estimated 300,000 tons of compostable organics are disposed of annually with Queens' refuse, totaling 600,000,000 pounds.
- These disposed organics are directed to landfills and waste-to-energy incinerators in the Eastern United States.
- The collection rate for compostable materials, known as the capture rate, is significantly low.
Samantha McBride
2:13:12
Good morning.
2:13:13
I am Doctor Samantha McBride, professor at Barooq College, and former DSNY analyst and manager.
2:13:20
It is with immense respect to committee chair Abreu and council members, 1st deputy commissioner, Lohan, and my former Diaz and my colleagues that I speak today.
2:13:29
I have conducted a performance analysis of the department's newly relaunched residential curbside organics collection program in the borough of Queens.
2:13:39
Using monthly tonnages on open data, the city's 2017 waste characterization study and US census data, I have analyzed performance using metrics that are standard to the waste management industry and used in municipalities across America.
2:13:57
My analysis found the following.
2:14:00
In 2023, only 4.3% of the residential curbside organics that could have been collected in greens for composting or anaerobic digestion were, in fact, collected.
2:14:14
The rest, 95.7% went out with the trash.
2:14:20
The 4.3 rate is called the capture rate.
2:14:24
In 2023, when all of Queen's had the simple universal program that was described earlier, an estimated 300,000 tons of compostable organics went out for disposal with Queen's refuse.
2:14:42
In pounds, that is £600,000,000.
2:14:45
These quantities move through Queen's transfer stations.
2:14:49
They ended in landfills and waste energy incinerators in Eastern United States.
2:14:55
For comparison, About 12,700 tons or £25,000,000 of residential herbicide organics were collected for composting or anaerobic digestion locally.
2:15:10
Furthermore, the capture rate the per household generation rate for