Sustainability Weekly

SUSTAINABILITY
Written By Dara Magagnoli

Fridays are for…

Compost Funding, New Trash Bins, City of Water Day, Rainforests, and more!

by Alli DiGiacomo

Happy Friday! This week we have good news about NYC funding, the latest on Eric Adam’s “trash revolution”, and bad news about the recent heat waves. 

I hope everyone had a nice time celebrating the 4th of July last week. Perhaps people watched a fireworks show, or maybe a drone show as some cities are switching to a less environmentally harmful alternative. While fireworks are a tradition that bring many people joy, they do come with a lot of hidden costs. We are becoming more and more aware of this as June marked the 13th consecutive month where global temperatures hit a record high. In case you haven’t been outside lately, July is also on track to break records as dangerous heat levels continue to engulf the US this summer. 

This weekend in NYC, Saturday marks the 17th annual City of Water Day! Organized by Waterfront Alliance and New York–New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP), there are various water events in the region to champion a climate-resilient New York and New Jersey harbor. Check it out if you don’t have weekend plans!

Keep reading below for more sustainability news!

T H I S W E E K ’ S T O P S T O R I E S

NYC COMPOSTING FUNDING RESTORED

In positive news, NYC Mayor Eric Adams has agreed to restore over $6 million in funding for community composting, a program previously cut by the mayor's budget reductions but supported strongly by council members. The council also changed the program's funding mechanism to protect it from future budget cuts and allocated additional funds for other sanitation priorities. This restored funding will support established groups like GrowNYC and a broader range of organizations, including micro hauler Bk Rot and The Brotherhood Sister Sol. The $112.4 billion budget resolves issues for small-scale composters who protested Adams' budget cuts, which were initially made due to rising costs from migrant services. The council's funding shift also supports more environmental justice and climate-focused groups. The budget includes $5 million for organics processing infrastructure for the Lower East Side Ecology Center and $25 million for rodent-proof litter baskets and increased trash pickups.

NYC’S LATEST WEAPON IN WAR AGAINST RATS: OFFICIAL TRASH BINS

NYC is introducing a new line of residential trash receptacles as part of a broader effort to modernize its complex sanitation system. Mayor Eric Adams launched the initiative with a dramatic presentation, emphasizing the durability, affordability, and aesthetic appeal of these "wheelie bins," which are also intended to address the city's rat problem. These bins are set to be part of the city's transition to robotic garbage trucks. It's important to highlight the real heroes of today, the often-overlooked work of sanitation workers. 

The city's new sanitation initiatives have been met with ridicule on social media, particularly among commentators who criticize the expenditure involved and the use of consulting group McKinsey. All jokes aside, the initiative addresses a significant challenge: New York City's dense layout and the absence of alleyways complicate trash collection, necessitating innovative solutions.

NYC's sanitation system is unique in its scale and efficiency, managing millions of pounds of trash daily without charging residents directly. This is in contrast to many other cities that either charge for trash collection or subcontract it out. The new trash receptacles are expected to improve the process, despite concerns over the cost of implementation and potential reduction in parking spaces due to the bins taking up curb space.

DEFORESTATION IN EARTH’S LARGEST RAINFOREST CONTINUES TO PLUMMET DESPITE A RISE IN FIRES

Despite a rise in fires, deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is at its lowest level since March 2018. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon continued to plummet in May, reaching the lowest level since March 2018. Deforestation that month was around 501 square kilometers — or about 147 times the size of Central Park in New York City. That may sound like a lot (it is!), but it represents a 54% decline from the same time last year. Year to date, 1,182 square kilometers of the rainforest have been cleared — down 40% from this point in 2023. This good progress is despite the simultaneous rise in forest fires due to extreme drought.

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Dara Magagnoli
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