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Budget, Education & City Services
The Community Organics and Recycling Empowerment (CORE) Act
Re: Consideration of legislation by Council Member Keith Powers, the Community Organics and Recycling Empowerment (CORE) Act, which would create composting and electronics drop-off sites to compensate for recycling reductions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic
At the regularly scheduled monthly Community Board Five meeting on Thursday, June 11, 2020, the following resolution passed with a vote of 44 in favor; 0 opposed; 1 abstaining:
WHEREAS, The impact of COVID-19 has led the City of New York to undertake severe funding cuts; and
WHEREAS, These cuts include $24.5 million dollars in organic waste recycling by the Department of Sanitation; and
WHEREAS, These cuts have resulted in the suspension of 175 community organic collection sites as well as voluntary curbside e-waste collection; and
WHEREAS, The lack of this programming leaves New Yorkers without any “green” way to dispose of this waste; and
WHEREAS, Council Members Powers and Reynoso have introduced two bills - the Community Organics and Recycling Empowerment (“Core”) Act - that are designed to bring more equity and access to community-based compost and organic recycling while maintaining organic collections; and
WHEREAS, Intro 1942, would require three drop-off composting sites in each community district; and
WHEREAS, Intro. 1943 would allow for the collection of recyclable materials such as electronics, which by State law cannot be disposed of into our general waste stream; and
WHEREAS, Continuity of recycling practices is important as it keeps habits of proper disposal alive, helping to ensure the success of our city’s organics program once it is restored; and
WHEREAS, History suggests that eliminating the program now would make it that much harder to re-introduce recycling behaviors; and
WHEREAS, Without this program, New Yorkers would not have a way to recycle their organic and electronic waste; and
WHEREAS, The provision of recycling hubs is in line with the City’s zero waste initiatives and other green initiatives; and
WHEREAS, The proposed legislation is supported by the Manhattan Borough President along with New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, ALIGN NY, Big Reuse, and the solid waste advisory boards for Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan; and
WHEREAS, CB5 would prefer that the DSNY does not cede jobs to non-profits who handle education, collection and transport, it recognizes that non-profit partners have been involved in recycling efforts; therefore be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five fully supports the passing of both Intro 1942 and Intro 1943 (the CORE Act), which would create composting and electronics drop-off sites to compensate for recycling reductions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and urges the City Council to consider and vote on the proposed bills.