Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
AGENCY TESTIMONY
Commercial Waste Zones program implementation
0:19:05
·
125 sec
Commissioner Lojan provides an update on the implementation of the Commercial Waste Zones program, which aims to reform the commercial waste hauling system in New York City.
- The program establishes new safety standards, improves service for businesses, and aims to reduce vehicle miles traveled
- Businesses will pay less for recycling and compostable material collection than for trash
- The first zone in Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights has been successfully launched
- The next two zones will cover the entirety of The Bronx, with full citywide implementation by the end of 2027
Javier Lojan
0:19:05
Now that we've mentioned commercial way zones, I'll provide a fuller update on that program and our implementation of local law one ninety nine of 02/2019 for anyone who may have missed the recent oversight hearing on this topic.
0:19:18
This law was designed to reform the commercial waste hauling system by establishing new safety standards for workers in the commercial carting industry, improving service for businesses, increasing diversion rates, and reduce reducing vehicle miles traveled as well as harmful emissions from waste hauling vehicles.
0:19:35
When fully implemented, we are looking at about 12,000,000 fewer miles traveled by commercial carting vehicles.
0:19:41
And making good on a promise from when this program was created, businesses will pay less for the collection of recyclables and compostable material than they do for trash at a statewide average of 32% less for recycling and 18% for compostable material.
0:19:56
That means businesses will have a meaningful financial incentive to separate their waste properly.
0:20:02
In January, after years of planning and months of outreach, the first of New York City's Twenty nonexclusive commercial way zones came online in Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights.
0:20:12
Because it was done thoughtfully, this has been a successful launch, and not a single one of the thousands of businesses in the zone has made a complaint to the SMY of any of the issues with service or billing.
0:20:23
We are routinely writing safety violations there and are seeing very strong compliance, likely due at least in part to the significant fine escalators built built into the z w z program, with a total of about 200 violations written since implementation of the of the zone began in September.
0:20:41
Following a thorough data analysis of the first zone and of conditions across the city, we recently announced that the next two zones will cover the entirety of The Bronx beginning later this year with a full citywide implementation complete by the end of twenty twenty seven.
0:20:55
This is an important program, but it is a program that was destined to fail if it were rushed.
0:21:00
We are doing it right.
0:21:02
The expansion of the SNY quality of life enforcement under the current administration is not restricted to the Queen's Central Commercial Waste Zone.