REBNY, BOMA urge city to toss plan for commercial-trash zones

The Real Estate Board of New York and the Building Owners & Managers Association are among a handful of groups urging the city’s Department of Sanitation to ditch its plan for commercial-waste pickup zones.

REBNY and BOMA, along with other business and labor groups such as the New York State Restaurant Association, sent Mayor Bill de Blasio and DSNY Commissioner Kathryn Garcia a letter last week saying the city’s plan for zoned franchises is “severely flawed, inappropriate for New York, and cannot be salvaged,” City & State reported.

The sanitation department has been working on a plan for at least 18 months that would break the city up into zones, giving one or several companies the exclusive right to collect commercial trash in each zone.

Advocates for the plan, including labor groups, say it will cut down on the number of miles trucks travel, reducing pollution and increasing safety. Opponents, though, argue the proposal will cut competition and result in higher prices for consumers. They point to a similar plan implemented in Los Angeles, where prices have skyrocketed since zoned franchises were introduced last year.

REBNY and its allies are supporting a bill sponsored by City Council members Robert Cornegy and Mark Gjonaj – Intro 996 – that would block the city’s ability to institute zones, while still addressing issues of pollution and safety.

Sanitation Committee Chairman Antonio Reynoso opposes the bill, calling it “an effort by the private carting industry to continue to menace our streets.” [City & State] – Rich Bockmann