New York Fumbles Recycling Goal

When the state of New York set out to control its own solid waste destiny, recycling and reduction were the backbone of the plan. As outlined in the New York State Solid Waste Management Board’s "Solid Waste Disposal Capacity in NYS: A Look Ahead to 1997" the goal was to reduce, reuse or recycle 50 percent of the waste stream. The report stated that this approach would allow New York to effectively address its own waste disposal needs by 1997.

It was a bigger mountain to climb than officials realized in 1993 when the forecast was prepared with help from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The state would have to take action to double recycling by 1997.

Now it is 1997, and the question is, "How well did the state meet the goals outlined?"

Today, the recycling rate in New York state is in the 30 percent range. Five years ago,it was 23 percent. So there has been about a 30 percent increase in recycling between 1992 and 1997.

"It’s bumping its head against what is economically feasible and publicly acceptable," says Gordon Boyd, a principal in the consulting firm of Schillinger, Salerni & Boyd, Albany, N.Y. Boyd was one of the authors of the original report.

"The goal was to get to 50 percent recycling and reuse by this year," he says. "I was not optimistic. I think we now are at a level that can be sustained and has public support."

Towns face significant budget restraints when implementing programs, Boyd notes. "There is no economic return, and in cases like source separation, it is an added cost," he says. "I think we’ve done well to get to 30 percent."

Not everyone agrees that the state has done all it can. Judith Enck, senior environmental associate for the New York Public Interest Research Group, Albany, N.Y., who also participated in the study, says, "There was a lack of leadership from the state level."

The problem can be traced to markets, according to Eileen McGuire, president of the N.Y. State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. "If markets were strong enough, we’d be able to recycle all the material required," she says.

The goal of the program was 40 percent recycling and 10 percent waste reduction to reach the 50 percent cut, notes McGuire.

More could have been done in marketing and to make it convenient for people to recycle at the workplace, says Enck. "NYPIRG has pushed for three years for a program at the commercial level," she says, noting that the success of residential blue-box programs is not matched by similar programs in offices.

In addition, while some of the state’s recycling efforts were successful, almost nothing was done by the state to reduce generation of trash, according to Enck. More packaging legislation, a better bottle bill, and even programs to encourage reuse would help the state meet its goal of reducing solid waste, she says.

When the report was written, it was projected that New York would face a growing disposal capacity problem by the end of the decade if statewide recycling efforts stalled. According to DEC data, if the total reduction, reuse and recycling rate did not surpass 25 percent by 1997, the state could experience a landfill capacity shortfall of approximately 4.5 million tons per year, or one-third of the projected annual landfill needs.

While acknowledging that it is unlikely New York would be able to dispose of its current waste volume within state borders, McGuire says that the slack has been picked up by exports and incineration. However, she notes the situation could change when the Fresh Kills facility (near New York City) closes.

"The state, as well as the city (of New York) have come to realize that, while it is an admirable goal, it is harder to reach than was originally thought," says Robert Lange, director of recycling operations for New York City’s Sanitation Department.

In New York City, where the program focuses on residential recycling, the recycling rate has reached 15 percent. Lange defends that figure staunchly, noting that it includes recycling in high-rise, Housing Authority, and other multi-family housing. "We’ve done an honest job of accounting," he says. He contrasts his figures with those of Newark, N.J., which reports recycling numbers close to 50 percent; but, Lange says, those numbers include everything coming out of the Port of Newark.

The amount of solid waste New Yorkers generate, already considerable in 1989, continues to grow. The state produced 24.4 million tons (7.4 pounds per person each day) of solid waste (including residential, commercial, institutional, and construction and demolition debris), according to the DEC. By 1993, these numbers had grown to 25.2 million tons.

In the late 1980s, New York was meeting its solid waste disposal needs through a combination of existing capacity and out-of-state exports. Approximately 3.5 million tons of waste were exported annually; less than 150,000 tons were imported. The number of active solid waste landfills (sanitary, industrial and C&D) declined from an estimated 400 in 1988 to 122 at the end of 1993, according to DEC data. But, in many cases, the landfills that had been closing were smaller, local facilities that did not satisfy the state’s landfill regulations. In 1992, the state had about 1 million tons per year of unused landfill capacity.

DEC’s 1994 analysis said that if the state’s 50 percent reduction, reuse and recycling goal were achieved by 1997 and waste could flow freely to facilities, available in-state landfill capacity would be sufficient to meet state disposal needs. Since that goal was not met, most observers agree that the state will not be self-sufficient in landfill space by the turn of the century.

In addition, DEC had also suggested that, if the state’s solid waste management goals were met by 1997, the state would essentially be able to manage its own waste. McGuire notes that a key problem in the first place was getting funding for local towns.

Enck throws the challenge back at the political leaders for not expanding recycling programs and not encouraging waste reduction. Noting the pending Fresh Kills closure, and the state’s failure to meet the waste reduction goals she says, "If you want the state to be self-sufficient, this is a huge problem. Gov. Pataki and (New York Mayor) Rudy Guiliani have the mistaken belief that many communities out there want to embrace New York’s trash." She says all projections that the state will not face a crisis are based on free movement of material from state to state. Politics, fuel costs, and not-in-my-backyard sentiments could overturn that notion.

Boyd says that getting from 30 percent to 50 percent is a lot tougher than accomplishing the first 20-point increase. However, he feels the 30 percent rate is sustainable.