New York seeks feedback on 10-year waste strategy – Smart Cities Dive

Report on New York City’s Proposed Solid Waste Management Plan and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

• The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has presented a draft solid waste management plan to define its strategic direction for the next ten years, replacing a two-decade-old framework.
• The plan addresses the management of 3.7 to 4 million tons of material collected annually by a workforce of nearly 8,000 and a budget approaching $2 billion.
• Core objectives include increasing waste diversion, expanding organics recycling, and modernizing disposal strategies, with a strong focus on achieving multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Key Objectives and SDG Alignment

The plan’s strategies are designed to advance several critical SDGs:

1. SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): To create a cleaner, more resilient, and sustainable urban environment through comprehensive and equitable waste management systems.
2. SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): To fundamentally shift from a linear “take-make-dispose” model to a circular economy by increasing recycling, promoting reuse, and enhancing resource recovery.
3. SDG 13 (Climate Action): To mitigate climate change by reducing potent methane emissions from landfills through aggressive organics diversion and exploring waste-to-energy technologies.
4. SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): To reduce food waste and address food insecurity through enhanced food rescue and donation programs.

Recycling and Circular Economy Initiatives (SDG 12)

The department aims to significantly increase material recovery and promote a circular economy, directly supporting SDG 12.

• Goal: Increase the current 50% capture rate for recyclables, with a priority on recovering rigid plastics, film plastics, and glass.
• Projected Impact: If implemented, proposed programs could increase diversion rates by 11 percentage points for DSNY-collected waste and 27 percentage points for commercial waste by 2036.
• Policy Support: The plan endorses state-level Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation for packaging and mattresses to ensure producers contribute to end-of-life management.
• Reuse Programs: The department is exploring packaging reuse programs in schools and container reuse initiatives in public venues to reduce single-use items.
• Infrastructure Planning: A strategic review of the city’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF) capacity is planned as current contracts with key processors are set to expire in 2034.

Organics Management and Food Waste Reduction (SDG 2, SDG 11, SDG 13)

A central focus of the plan is the diversion of over 2 million tons of organic waste generated annually by residents and businesses.

1. Food Rescue: Enhance the donateNYC Food Portal and expand school-based food rescue initiatives to redirect edible food to those in need, directly contributing to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).
2. Composting Infrastructure: Establish eight new composting locations and upgrade 17 existing facilities, as mandated by local law, to increase local processing capacity and create a valuable soil amendment.
3. Biosolids Management: A commitment to divert 100% of biosolids from landfills by 2030, aligning with SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), through expanded codigestion and exploration of dewatering technologies.
4. Public Engagement: Continue education and outreach efforts for the citywide curbside organics program, including the distribution of compost and collection supplies at community events to encourage participation.

Waste Disposal and Resource Recovery (SDG 7, SDG 11, SDG 15)

The plan addresses the challenges of waste disposal for a city with no internal landfills or incinerators, focusing on reducing environmental impact and recovering value.

• Reducing Export Dependency: Strategies aim to reduce reliance on out-of-state landfills, which has been increasing due to tightening disposal capacity within New York State.
• Landfill Post-Closure Management:
  • Fresh Kills Landfill: Planning for adaptive reuse of the site, managing declining landfill gas generation, and rerouting leachate to a wastewater resource recovery facility supports SDG 15 (Life on Land).
  • Edgemere Landfill: The plan includes continued study of the feasibility of a solar energy installation, contributing to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy).
• Thermal Treatment Exploration: DSNY will continue to evaluate thermal treatment options such as gasification and pyrolysis, in line with state guidance, to recover energy from non-recyclable waste. Currently, approximately one-third of the city’s waste is sent to waste-to-energy facilities.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article connects to SDG 2 through its focus on reducing food waste and redirecting edible food. The plan by New York City’s Department of Sanitation (DSNY) includes initiatives to prevent food from becoming waste in the first place by ensuring it reaches people in need. This is highlighted by the mention of increasing the use of the “donateNYC Food Portal to reroute edible food to those who need it” and expanding “food rescue initiatives at schools.”

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  This goal is addressed through the city’s exploration of waste-to-energy and renewable energy projects on former landfill sites. The article states that DSNY plans to “continue studying the feasibility of a solar installation” at the Edgemere Landfill. Additionally, it mentions considering thermal treatment options like gasification and pyrolysis, which are methods of converting waste into energy, thus linking waste management to energy production.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The entire article is fundamentally about SDG 11, as it details a comprehensive solid waste management plan for New York City, a major urban area. The plan aims to manage the “3.7 million and 4 million tons of material annually” collected by DSNY. By focusing on increasing diversion rates, improving recycling infrastructure, managing organic waste, and planning for the post-closure of landfills, the plan directly addresses the need to reduce the adverse environmental impact of the city, particularly concerning waste management.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  This is the most central SDG in the article. The DSNY plan is built around principles of sustainable consumption and production by aiming to fundamentally change how the city handles waste. It focuses on reducing waste generation, promoting recycling, and encouraging reuse. The article details plans to increase diversion rates, recover materials like plastics and glass, implement “packaging reuse options,” and expand the citywide “curbside organics recycling program.” These efforts are all aimed at creating a more circular economy and reducing the city’s overall waste footprint.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.

  The article’s mention of initiatives like the “donateNYC Food Portal” and “food rescue initiatives at schools” directly supports this target by rerouting surplus edible food from waste streams to people who need it, thereby improving food access.

• Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

  The plan to study “the feasibility of a solar installation” at the Edgemere Landfill is a direct action toward increasing renewable energy capacity, aligning with this target.

• Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.

  The entire solid waste management plan is an embodiment of this target. Specific actions include managing millions of tons of waste, increasing diversion rates to reduce landfill dependency, and responsibly managing closed landfills like Fresh Kills to mitigate long-term environmental impacts (e.g., managing landfill gas and leachate).

• Target 12.3: By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.

  The plan addresses this by focusing on diverting the “over 2 million tons of organic waste annually” generated in the city. The strategy includes not only composting but also prioritizing food rescue and donation at the top of the food recovery hierarchy.

• Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

  This target is central to the DSNY’s plan. The article highlights numerous strategies aimed at this goal, such as increasing recycling capture rates from the current 50%, exploring “packaging reuse options” and a “container reuse program,” expanding organics collection, and prioritizing the recovery of specific materials like plastics and glass.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Tons of waste collected and generated: The article mentions that DSNY collected “between 3.7 million and 4 million tons of material annually” and that the city generated “over 2 million tons of organic waste annually.” These figures serve as baseline indicators for measuring waste reduction efforts.
• Diversion and capture rates: The article explicitly states a goal to “increase diversion rates for waste it collects by 11 percentage points and diversion rates for commercial waste by 27 percentage points.” It also notes the current recycling “50% capture rate,” which can be used as a benchmark to measure improvement in recycling efficiency.
• Specific material diversion goals: A key goal mentioned is to “divert 100% of the material [biosolids] from landfills by 2030.” This provides a clear, measurable, and time-bound indicator of progress.
• Infrastructure development: Progress can be measured by the implementation of new infrastructure, such as the plan to “establish eight new composting locations” and expand processing capacity at the Staten Island Compost Facility.
• Renewable energy capacity: The outcome of the “feasibility of a solar installation” study at Edgemere Landfill can be an indicator. If the project proceeds, the installed energy capacity (in megawatts) would be a direct measure of progress toward Target 7.2.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: smartcitiesdive.com