Waste News: New York City

Last week, Mayor de Blasio and the City Council finalized the City budget, which drastically cuts environmental programs that are needed to combat climate change and fight for climate justice.

NYLCV testified at the New York City Council Sanitation Committee hearing on organic waste collection and electronic waste disposal.

Part of the cuts to the upcoming NYC Budget include a $24.5 million cut in funding for the organic waste recycling program. City officials, residents, and activists are moving to salvage pieces of the existing program and expansions that had been introduced before the pandemic.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we launched our New York City Climate Action Tracker. This powerful digital tool follows the city’s progress on its climate goals as outlined in Mayor de Blasio’s OneNYC plan.

A combination of the words fat and iceberg, fatbergs are large masses of common household trash items that do not belong in the water works including cleaning wipes, grease, and various personal hygiene products. Improper disposal means clogged pipes, sewage backups, damaged equipment at wastewater treatment plants.

In his 2020 State of the City address, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio emphasized climate change as a top priority for his administration.

NYLCV strongly supports a community-driven discussion about the next phase of Rikers Island, and also supports the City undertaking studies about its green new economy.

Single-use plastics must be reduced to address climate change and meet NYC’s goal of Zero Waste by 2030.