Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
City Council Abandons Push For Exclusive Waste Zones In Commercial Waste Compromise
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Oct 11, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
STEPHEN NESSEN / WNYC
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Oct 11, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Efforts to overhaul New York City's private waste collection system are poised to move forward under a new compromise that would amend a far-reaching proposal to establish new commercial waste zones.
The updated draft, which has not yet been released publicly, addresses concerns raised by business groups and private collectors in response to Councilman Antonio Reynoso’s bill to rein in the troubled industry. As part of the agreement reached between lawmakers and key stakeholders, each of the 20 zones would be served by up to three carters, rather than a single company, as initially proposed.
Trade groups such as the Real Estate Board of New York have long opposed exclusive waste zones, arguing that the open-market approach reduces competition and drives up prices. Some private haulers have also lobbied aggressively to kill the reform effort.
Currently, there are no specific zones for the nearly 100 private carters that collect trash from city businesses, contributing to excessive pollution, overworked employees, and rampant traffic violence. In the last decade, more than two dozen New Yorkers have been killed in crashes involving private carters.
In one recent case, a driver with the since-shuttered Sanitation Salvage was found to have killed two people on city streets—one of whom was a fellow worker, who he initially claimed was a random person who hopped on his truck.
Cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles currently grant waste haulers access to exclusive zones.
The proposed zoning framework allows the city to award contracts to the most responsible carters based on a range of factors, including a company’s safety record and commitment to reducing emissions, according to a draft of the proposal shared with Gothamist.
“This policy will make our air cleaner, our streets safer, and provide better customer service to businesses throughout the City,” City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who co-sponsored the legislation, said in a statement. “We look forward to continued engagement with stakeholders and to receiving feedback on the proposal.”
The updated proposal has received the endorsement of the Teamsters, which represents many private sanitation workers, as well as a host of environmental groups. They say the zones will cut private garbage truck traffic by more than half across the city.
The reforms are also aimed at reducing the industry’s dependence on waste transfer stations, the largely unregulated facilities that expose nearby residents to diesel fuel pollutants and higher rates of asthma. Advocates have long noted that those facilities are predominantly located in low-income communities and communities of color.
While the city has made progress in solid waste and recycling for public hauling, the commercial waste industry has increased the amount of trash it disposes at these stations by 35 percent since 2015—or 500,000 tons of trash annually, according to a new report.
Under the proposed plan, the city would now take into account a carter’s use of transfer stations and its history of compliance with public health laws when licensing the zones.
“This commercial waste reform agreement was a generation in the making,” said Eddie Bautista, executive director of the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance. “Environmental justice communities—neighborhoods like North Brooklyn, South Bronx, Southeast Queens, and Sunset Park long condemned to handle over 75% of NYC’s waste—have sought relief from a chaotic and unjust commercial waste system for 30 years.”
The Department of Sanitation will also be authorized to set a wage floor for trash pickup, in an effort to avoid a “race to the bottom,” Reynoso told Politico, which first reported the news. Workers will be required to undergo additional safety training as well.
The new bill also allows for three to five licensed carters in each zone to pick up the roll-away dumpsters used by some buildings, known as "containerized waste." The provision will not guarantee that those buildings can keep their current haulers—as some business groups had demanded—but will make it more likely, according to a City Council spokesperson.
A representative for REBNY said the interest group was waiting to see a full copy of the bill before confirming their support.
“REBNY has long advocated for reform within this industry to improve worker safety and reduce emissions while ensuring there is robust competition needed to ensure high quality customer service,” said Zachary Steinberg, vice president of the group. “We look forward to reviewing the amended version of this legislation.”
The bill is expected to come before the City Council for a vote by the end of the month.
Tagged
commercial waste
trash hauling
Transform Don't Trash
private sanitation trucks
City Council
private sanitation companies
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani plans redesign of Brooklyn's Third Avenue after nurse killed in hit-and-run
Sunset Park residents and street safety advocates have called on city officials to make the avenue safer for years.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Oct 28, 2026 at 4:00 a.m. ET
NJ Gov. Sherrill: Election is secure, noncitizens taken off voter rolls
The governor made the comments in the October edition of "Ask Governor Sherrill" on WNYC.
By
Michael Sol Warren
News
NJ Gov. Sherrill: Election is secure, noncitizens taken off voter rolls
The governor made the comments in the October edition of "Ask Governor Sherrill" on WNYC.
By
Michael Sol Warren
Ex-NYPD officer again faces murder charge in George Washington Bridge shooting
By
Samantha Max
Former NYC buildings boss helped reopen mayor's favored restaurant despite health violations
By
David Brand
1 killed, 4 others injured at Elizabeth, NJ vigil shooting
By
Catalina Gonella
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .