While the policy is handed down by the mayor, an array of New Yorkers—from everyday residents to top city officials to nonprofit service providers—play a role in recommending locations for sweeps, according to hundreds of internal emails reviewed by City Limits.
‘Mayor Adams has taken on the admirable challenge of promoting plant-based diets because of their health benefits to individuals. In many ways, composting and healthy eating go hand-in-hand, improving human health and the well-being of the environment around us. To be successful, both also require a shift in our thinking.’
Last week, the city started curbside pick-ups in additional districts in Manhattan, Brooklyn and one in The Bronx. The service, which was put on hold throughout the pandemic, resumed this fall based on areas that saw the most residents sign up for it.
The program, which has been on hold since May 2020, kicks off again Monday in four Brooklyn neighborhoods as a budget report notes high costs to sustain it.
‘Major cities all throughout the world have a modernized and efficient approach to trash collection, and New York City is still lagging. We should make the most out of our public spaces and prioritize public health.’
‘New York City’s Mayor de Blasio just committed to a green recovery. Yet, in this year’s crisis budget, the city cut all funding for organic waste collection.’
The city has been able to insulate itself from the impact of the Chinese ban thanks in part to its size as well as the city’s long-term vision that allowed it to build a local recycling infrastructure.
‘The de Blasio Administration has paused plans for expanding curbside organics collection to additional neighborhoods across the city. Given the inevitable and impending climate crisis before us, this is a step in the wrong direction.’
‘By creating an efficient, exclusive customer base for each of the seven franchised haulers, our city was able to set high standards for environmental impacts, customer service, and workers’ rights.’
The de Blasio administration has dedicated money to build a bigger facility so DSNY doesn’t have to use Queens streets to park the trucks that won’t fit in an aging garage. But some residents are upset that a promise for interim relief has yet to be fulfilled.
City Limits uses investigative journalism through the prism of New York City to identify urban problems, examine their causes, explore solutions, and equip communities to take action.
Founded in 1976 in the midst of New York’s fiscal crisis, City Limits exists to inform democracy and equip citizens to create a more just city. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by foundation support, ad sponsorship and donations from readers.
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