This document discusses NYC's waste management system and challenges, as well as opportunities for micro haulers. It notes that NYC collects over 12,000 tons of waste per day residential and commercially. The commercial sector has around 250 licensed haulers but enforcement of recycling and organics diversion rules remains a challenge. The document advocates for micro haulers and MWBE businesses in areas like licensing, access to waste streams, and ability to subcontract within commercial waste zones. It proposes micro haulers work with the city and larger haulers on solutions to issues through discussion groups, stakeholder meetings and policy engagement.

1. NYC: Micro Hauling + Commercial
Waste
Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli

2. Overview
❏ Intro
❏ NYC’s Waste System, Rules, and Challenges
❏ NYC Alliances
❏ Directions of Action

4. Zero Waste Consulting +
Bike Compost Collection

6. How we do bike hauling
❏ School garden
❏ Bokashi with ASP
❏ Evolved into consolidation relationship
with commercial hauler
❏ Mountain bike + 6 foot trailer
❏ Electric assist cargo trike with 64-g tote trailer?
❏ Residential + Commercial
❏ Residential flat monthly rate
❏ Commercial $/bucket

7. Trash in NYC
RESIDENTIAL
❏ NYC Department of Sanitation
❏ 12,00 Tons/Day
❏ Daytime collection
❏ Capture rate of recyclables 50%
❏ Recycling Rate: 17%
COMMERCIAL
❏ ~250 Licensed Haulers, ~90 Active
❏ 12,000 Tons/Day
❏ Overnight collection
❏ Diversion data hard to come by
❏ Recycling mandatory: Aug 2017
❏ ~300 businesses required compost

8. NYC Waste Programs + Rules
RESIDENTIAL
❏ Programs
- E-Cycle NYC
- Re-Fashion NYC
- Recycling (moving towards single
stream)
- Organics - Brown Bins - (end of 2018)
❏ Huge enforcement challenges
COMMERCIAL
❏ Recycling: mandatory as of August 2017
- Enforcement challenges (lots of
businesses, not enough officers)
- Source-separated or single stream,
depends on hauler’s operations
❏ Organics: phased system
- Tier 1, January 2017: 300
businesses
- Tier 2, announcement Feb 2018
❏ Other streams, textiles,
construction/demolition, etc.

9. Regulatory Landscape
NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY)
❏ Largest sanitation department in the world
(~9,200 employees)
❏ Residential collection + enforcement
❏ Citywide waste rules (commercial +
residential)
❏ Also manages street cleaning and snow
plowing
NYC Business Integrity Commission (BIC)
❏ Commercial hauling regulation +
enforcement
❏ Licensing (hauling + brokering)
❏ Rate cap enforcement
❏ Created with the intent of rooting
organized crime out of NYC’s trash
❏ Launched a micro-hauling pilot program
in late-2016

10. What Is Commercial Waste Zoning/Franchising?
Works differently City by City, (exclusive vs. non-exclusive, + ), but geographic
zones are created, and commercial haulers submit and win bids for zones.
NYC main goal: fewer trucks on the road
❏ *Route Efficiency
❏ Reduction in VMT (vehicle miles traveled)
❏ Pricing Structure + Transparency
❏ Improved Customer Service
❏ “consumer choice”
❏ Diversion from Landfill
❏ NYC’s Zero Waste Goals

11. MWBE + Micro Hauler Concerns
CITY PRIORITIES
❏ Route efficiency through reduction in VMT
(vehicle miles traveled)
❏ Pricing structure + transparency
❏ Improved customer service (“consumer
choice”)
❏ Diversion from landfill
MICRO + MWBE PRIORITIES
❏ Access to licensing, decals (legitimacy)
❏ Access to land
❏ Waste audits
❏ Pricing and transparency
❏ Diversion from landfill / Zero Waste goals
❏ Subcontracting
❏ MWBE access to contracts
❏ Specialty streams and situations
❏ Onsite organics processing
❏ Reduced truck impact

12. MWBE + Micro Hauler Concerns
CITY PRIORITIES
❏ Route efficiency through reduction in VMT
(vehicle miles traveled)
❏ Pricing structure + transparency
❏ Improved customer service (“consumer
choice”)
❏ Diversion from landfill
MICRO + MWBE PRIORITIES
❏ Access to licensing, decals (legitimacy)
❏ Access to land
❏ Waste audits
❏ Pricing and transparency
❏ Diversion from landfill / Zero Waste goals
❏ Subcontracting
❏ MWBE access to contracts
❏ Specialty streams and situations
❏ Onsite organics processing
❏ Reduced truck impact

13. Micro Hauler Areas of Concern / Discussion Groups
❏ Access to licensing, decals (legitimacy)
❏ Exemptions and/or discounts
❏ Access to land
❏ Availability of City lots, underutilized City space, PPP, etc.
❏ Waste audits
❏ Helping businesses reduce commercial hauling costs (the remainder of the waste stream)
❏ Pricing and transparency
❏ How do “micro” volumes fit in to fee structures? Micro business’ fee structures?
❏ Diversion from landfill / Zero Waste goals
❏ Subcontracting
❏ Ability to legally haul in a zone without an exclusive license
❏ Subcontracting example ...

14. A Subcontracting Scenario, w/ Reclaimed Organics’ Model
East Village Manhattan, or downtown Charlottesville, Virginia (a dense
commercial area)
❏ Every business only has one waste contract, with a commercial hauler
❏ Bikes collect all organics under a certain threshold (maybe 100 lbs/day or
less)
❏ Bike consolidates into totes in one or a few drop/pickup locations
❏ Commercial haul truck collects from that spot
❏ Bike haul company is paid as a subcontractor by the commercial hauler

15. Directions of Action
❏ Letters to elected officials
❏ Engage with policymakers to gain traction, legitimacy, and support
❏ Discussion groups about MWBE + micro hauler issues
❏ List issues of concern
❏ Develop suggestions for action in zoning plan
❏ Attendance at stakeholder meetings
❏ Voice issues and provide solutions / suggestions
❏ Continuing to connect with other organizations that have been through this
❏ California Community Composting Policy Group

16. Thanks!
meredith@commongroundcompost.com
929.229.5810

17. DSNY Strategy: Commercial Waste Zoning/Franchising
Future RFP Process, geographic zones (exclusive and/or non-exclusive) currently being determined
Goals:
❏ Route efficiency through reduction in VMT (vehicle miles traveled)
❏ Pricing structure + transparency
❏ Improved customer service (“consumer choice”)
❏ Diversion from landfill
Strategies:
❏ Legislation
❏ Implementation Plan
❏ Bidding / Negotiations