- Description
All New Yorkers want to live and work in safe, healthy communities. New York City has taken some steps in recent years to build the cleaner, more sustainable city we all want, increasing green space and the energy-efficiency of its building stock. The City has also begun to build a more equitable and sustainable solid waste management system, expanding residential recycling programs, and developing a plan to more fairly distribute waste facilities throughout the five boroughs. Unfortunately, the City has largely overlooked the commercial waste sector, to the detriment of local communities and workers, and to the detriment of the local environment, economy, and the City's long-term sustainability. New York City deserves better. By transforming the commercial waste industry, it is possible to reduce pollution, foster cleaner and healthier communities for all new Yorkers, save the city money, lift thousands of waste industry workers and their families out of poverty, and create new, quality jobs in recycling and recycling-reliant industries. The City can achieve these goals via an exclusive franchise system, an approach being utilized by cities like Seattle and Los Angeles.
