By Peter Aronson
In its effort to remain a national leader in its fight against climate change, New York State has released a draft of its future Solid Waste Management Plan.
The plan, put forth by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), is important because waste, particularly that sent to landfills, is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (GGE). In New York State, waste is the fourth highest emitter of GGE, accounting for 12 percent of the state’s total.
In its effort to eliminate GGE, the 82-page report sets forth six major focus areas, which includes waste reduction, reuse and recycling and encourages a circular economy. (The full report can be found here.)
A circular economy involves the reuse and recycling of products so nothing gets wasted, so that resources are used to their maximum. “A circular economy is a model of production and consumption that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible,” the state report says.
“We commend DEC for publishing a very strong draft plan that recognizes both the need to move to a circular economy on an aggressive timeline and the challenges in doing so,” said NYLCV POlicy Director Patrick McClellan.
The six major focus areas in the report are:
- Waste prevention, reduction and reuse;
- Recycling, market development and resiliency;
- Product stewardship and recycling;
- Organics reduction and recycling;
- Toxics reduction in products; and
- Design and operation of solid waste management facilities and related activities.
The implementation of such a plan is a complex process that will require the effort and cooperation of many quadrants of society.
“From eliminating bioaccumulative toxins from products to ensuring effective reuse and recycling, a circular economy requires laws, policies, robust programs, and participation in each step along the supply chain,” said Basil Seggos, DEC commissioner, in the reports preamble. “The plan outlines strategies and methods to build a circular economy, a more resilient supply chain and a less wasteful future.”
Under the draft, the state’s goal is to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfills by 85-90 percent by 2050. NYLCV believes this goal needs to be reached earlier.
Although NYLCV supports all six focus areas, it has numerous suggestions, which it outlined during the draft report’s comment period:
- Legislation may be needed regarding the use of refillable and reusable food containers by food service establishments and retailers;
- The state needs to adopt a standardized list of recyclable material that is uniform and needs to offer curbside recycling throughout the state;
- The state needs to implement a statewide textile recycling program;
- The state must pass a comprehensive packaging product stewardship law that would require producers to use reusable, refillable and recyclable packaging and improve the state’s existing stewardship programs;
- The state should expand the state’s Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law, including increased financial aid for food banks and food relief organizations;
- The state should do more to create market conditions for anaerobic digesters for farms and wastewater treatment plants;
- The state should promulgate a clean fuel standard to monetize organic waste as a feedstock for lower carbon biofuels; and
- The state should consider legislation to set minimum recycling rates for demolition and new construction and ban certain easy-to-recycle materials, such as gypsum wallboard, from landfills and incinerators.
As stated above, implementing this plan’s goals is a complex process. NYLCV commends the state in several specific areas:
- For recognizing the state’s important role in building the market for recycled materials and educating consumers and businesses about such programs;
- For recognizing the state’s procurement role in emphasizing certain waste disposal goals, such as boosting the market for recycled glass and concrete;
- For supporting clarifying the Bag Waste Reduction and Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling laws and better enforcing it;
- For advancing composting and recycling programs; and
- For supporting the reduction of toxics used in all products.
The plan, according to New York state, is in line with its stated goal under the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and by 85 percent by 2050. By drastically reducing waste sent to landfills, the state would be taking a big step forward. A vast majority of waste that goes to landfills, which includes household, business and school garbage, is organic material. Most of the GGE from landfills comes from long-term decay of organic materials, which emit methane gas at a significantly more dangerous level than CO2.