Organic Waste in NYC: A Conversation with DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch & Council Member Sandy Nurse

Every year, New York City residents and businesses generate 1.8 million tons of organic waste, with nearly all of it ending up in landfills. In particular, organic waste, including food scraps, food-soiled paper, yard debris, is estimated to make up one-third of the waste collected from New York City residences each day.

To reduce the volume of organic waste sent to landfills, the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has recently announced that it will be phasing in a voluntary citywide curbside collection program to encourage residents to separate their organics from recyclables and other waste. Yet, others have called on the City to establish mandatory diversion, collection, and composting of organic waste.

In this webinar, DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Council Member Sandy Nurse discuss the status, challenges, and prospects of organic waste collection in New York City.

FEATURING

Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Department of Sanitation

Sandy Nurse, Council Member (District 37) & Chair of the Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management, New York City Council

MODERATED BY

Katrina Wyman, Wilf Family Professor of Property Law, NYU School of Law

This event is co-sponsored by the Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law and the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board