(See Figure 2.)ĭespite the long distances involved in landfill disposal, the cost of disposal for DSNY is less than half that of collection. Of the waste collected by private carters, about 63 percent is recycled. 4 The large volume going to landfills often travels long distances to landfills in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and South Carolina. Of the 3.8 million tons that DSNY collects annually, about 14 percent is recycled, 76 percent sent to landfills, and 10 percent burned. The collected material is then disposed of in one of three ways-it is recycled (typically with separate recycling methods for paper and for plastic, metal, and glass), transported to and buried in a landfill, or burned at a “waste-to-energy” facility that uses the garbage as fuel to generate electricity. Materials are collected from homes and businesses by large trucks at curbside sites or in dumpsters. Waste management consists of two basic stages-collection and disposal. It costs DSNY about twice as much to collect the trash as to dispose of it. 3 Thus, local spending on residential and commercial garbage is about $2.3 billion annually.(See Figure 1.)Ģ. 2 Private businesses pay an estimated $730 million annually to remove their trash. 1 In fiscal year 2012 DSNY required $1.6 billion of municipal tax dollars to carry out its tasks. DSNY handles about 3.8 million tons of trash annually, or an average of about 10,000 tons daily, and private carters handle about 4.0 million tons annually. The private haulers serve businesses ranging from small pizza parlors to large office buildings. The private system is regulated by the City’s Business Integrity Commission (BIC) and consists of more than 250 waste hauling firms licensed to remove non-construction and non-industrial waste. The public agency is the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) it serves residential buildings, government agencies, and many nonprofit facilities. In New York City trash is handled by two separate systems-one private, one public.

New York divides responsibility for handling trash between a public and a private system together they spend $2.3 billion annually. This policy brief presents 12 important facts relating to the high cost of trash removal in New York City.ġ. But this seemingly invisible service is surprisingly expensive, and taxpayers should understand the reasons for its high cost. Collecting and disposing of trash is an essential municipal service, and New Yorkers tend to take it for granted.

Trash it 4.0