The city’s zero waste initiatives build upon the nearly-completed 2006 Solid Waste Management Plan, a fair, five-borough plan to handle New York City’s waste and offer flexibility and resiliency in the case of a natural disaster or other emergency. The SWMP mandates a switch from long-haul trucking to a system of marine and rail transfer stations spread throughout the five boroughs. Full implementation of the plan is anticipated to reduce the City’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by 34,000 tons and annual truck travel by 60 million miles.
To kick off Getting to Zero, Open House New York’s year-long series on the future of New York City’s waste system, NYC Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia will outline the steps the City has already taken to achieve these goals, the opportunities and challenges we will face over the next few years, and innovative practices that have the potential to transform the waste management industry. Following the Commissioner’s talk, she will be joined by Kate Ascher, partner at Buro Happold and author of The Works: Anatomy of a City and other popular books about urban infrastructure for a discussion about New York’s waste system.
