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Central Queens sees new rules for commercial waste ahead of citywide rollout

DSNY begins "monumental" overhaul of NYC's commercial waste industry
DSNY begins "monumental" overhaul of NYC's commercial waste industry 02:08

NEW YORK — New York City's Department of Sanitation has begun what it calls a monumental overhaul of the city's commercial waste industry.

The new reforms promise to modernize inefficient systems, and it's already having an impact in parts of Queens.

2019 law establishes Commercial Waste Zones in NYC

At Enchanted Florist in Maspeth, third-generation florist Anthony Nunziato is sorting flower stems differently under a new city program.

"We go by the rules and regulations. We just make sure the bins are rolled out what days, and we make sure everything's secured," he said.

Along with the arrival of secure bins citywide, Local Law 199 of 2019 establishes Commercial Waste Zones, a total 20 across the five boroughs.

Changes are now in effect in Zone 1, Queens Central, which includes:

  • Corona,
  • Elmhurst,
  • East Elmhurst,
  • Forest Hills,
  • Glendale,
  • Jackson Heights,
  • Maspeth,
  • Middle Village,
  • Rego Park,
  • and Ridgewood.

DSNY aims to fix "Wild West of commercial carting"

"It seeks to take this sort of Wild West of commercial carting and bring in the cavalry in the form of the DSNY Bureau of Commercial Waste," Department of Sanitation public affairs deputy commissioner Joshua Goodman said.

While city trucks pick up waste from homes, businesses have traditionally had to hire private companies. Goodman says it created a logistical mess.

"Historically, this could mean that if you had a commercial corridor with 15 businesses on it, every single one of those businesses might have a different private sanitation truck coming down the block every night to pick up their waste," he said.

Now, only three carters will operate per zone. When fully implemented, the city says, this will amount to 12 million fewer miles traveled per year on our streets.

The city says shopkeepers will see discounts for sorting compost and recycling. Resources, including a fee calculator and zone map, are on the Department of Sanitation's website.

Failure to comply can bring fines, but the city says it's not just stores and offices that will benefit from the changes.

"Every New Yorker knows when they see a giant pile of trash bags," Goodman said. "When we do our jobs right, no one should notice."

The city says data collected from Queens Central will help determine which neighborhoods roll out next, adding that business owners will get three months' advanced outreach before their regulations change.

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