NYC Council passes bills aimed at zero-waste future

New York City Council voted June 8 to adopt the Zero Waste Act, a collection of laws that aims to advance the city’s efforts to divert organic waste from landfills, fight climate change and create a greener, more sustainable future for New Yorkers.

The five-bill legislative package codifies a mandatory residential curbside organics collection program, sets zero-waste targets for 2030, requires annual reporting on zero-waste efforts, creates community food scrap drop-off sites and establishes community recycling centers in the five boroughs. Taken together, the Zero Waste Act positions New York City as a national leader in zero waste policies, advances the city’s efforts to fight the climate crisis and addresses the over 11,000 tons of residential waste that New Yorkers produce daily, the city says in a news release.

“With the passage of the Zero Waste Act, the New York City Council has taken a critical step forward to achieving the sustainable future New Yorkers deserve,” Speaker Adrienne Adams says. “Through increased access to composting and recycling sites, all New Yorkers will now be able to participate more equitably in our collective goal of diverting all recyclables and organic waste from landfills and incinerators by 2023.”

NYC Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced plans to enact citywide organics collection last winter, following a successful pilot project in Queens.

"When I started at DSNY nine months ago, Mayor Adams asked me for the best kind of curbside composting program—one people would actually use," Tisch said during the announcement of the citywide program. "The program we rolled out in Queens last year worked ... I'll never forget the first time we looked at the numbers and said, ‘Yahtzee! This is the model that can actually serve the entire city.’"

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Introduction 244-A, sponsored by Adams and Hanif, establishes a permanent citywide residential curbside collection program to divert organic waste. The program requires residents to separate yard waste and organic waste, such as food scraps, for regular weekly curbside collection by the DSNY. It will be phased in with citywide coverage by October 2024. The bill also requires the city to conduct public outreach to residents, building owners and maintenance staff.

“As a frontline and coastal community, it is essential to our city’s long-term survival that we act to address climate change," Hanif says. "Today, New York City takes its rightful place as a global leader in the fight against a climate catastrophe. I’m thrilled to be standing arm-in-arm with climate activists to enthusiastically celebrate the passage of our zero-waste package. After a year of difficult negotiations and strong advocacy, we are finally ensuring that our city’s composting program is mandatory, local composting capacity is expanded and that our zero-waste commitments are written into law. This is an incredible victory for our city.”

The DSNY would need to establish weekly curbside organics collection for residential buildings in at least 30 sanitation districts by Oct. 2, 2023, and all remaining districts by Oct. 7, 2024, according to a June 7 report on the Committee on Sanitation & Solid Waste Management, which is chaired by City Council Member Sandy Nurse.

Introduction 274-A, sponsored by Nurse, would establish a goal of zero divertible waste for New York City by 2030. The DSNY would be required to report to the Council if this goal cannot be met.

Introduction 275-A, sponsored by Nurse, would require the DSNY to report on its efforts to increase waste diversion rates. The report must include information on specific materials and their recyclability, as well as efforts to recycle or reuse materials collected through public litter baskets and other sources.

“The Zero Waste Act is a major environmental justice victory for New York City and beyond,” Nurse says. “These bills are an act of solidarity with predominantly low-income and communities of color living near landfills and incinerators in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania—communities that are fighting to protect their land, air, and health—where we send our waste. After fighting for environmental justice for years as a grassroots activist, I’m proud to have led the charge in the Council for this package. New York City is doing our part; now, it’s time for state legislators to do theirs and pass the Extended Producer Responsibility Bill to mandate responsible and sustainable production.”

Introduction 280-B, sponsored by Majority Leader Keith Powers, would require the DSNY to establish community recycling centers in every borough and to collect materials that are not collected through regular curbside collection but that can be recycled or reused. Information about each facility would be posted online. The bill also requires DSNY to submit reports to City Council about the use of each site.

Introduction 281-B, sponsored by Powers, would require the DSNY to establish a minimum number of organic waste drop-off sites citywide and within each of the five boroughs. The bill also requires the DSNY to submit reports to the Council about the use of each site.

“Today’s vote on the Zero Waste Act is a major milestone in advancing our climate and sustainability goals,” he says. “I am proud to have helped champion a comprehensive package that expands access to equitable recycling and universal composting. As recent, devastating wildfires and historic air pollution have vividly shown us, it is crucial we act now to protect our environment and create a better, greener future for us all.”