April 22, 2015

NEW YORK, NY – The Transform Don’t Trash NYC coalition had the following statement on the release of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s OneNYC, which includes a commitment to achieve zero waste and explore commercial waste collection zones.  Transform Don’t Trash NYC is a coalition of groups, including the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, Teamsters Joint Council 16, the Alliance for a Greater New York, and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest.

“Mayor Bill de Blasio is tackling the problems of the private sanitation industry head on through the ambitious and achievable goals of OneNYC. What the mayor did for street safety with Vision Zero, he is now doing for commercial sanitation through Zero Waste.

“Private sanitation and its low recycling rates, inefficiency, pollution, and poor working conditions have been ignored for too long. Moving forward with the de Blasio road map of zero waste and commercial waste collection zones are central to addressing climate change, environmental justice, and NYC’s other environmental goals.

“OneNYC draws the link between the environment and inequality. A zone system for commercial waste collection would hold sanitation companies accountable and raise standards for the environment, local communities, and workers at the same time.

“This is a big step forward. The Transform Don’t Trash NYC coalition looks forward to working with the de Blasio administration and City Council to implement this new Zero Waste goal.”

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