Ydanis Rodriguez
Commissioner, NYC Department of Transportation
55 Water St., New York, NY 10041
Jessica Tisch, Commissioner,
NYC Department of Sanitation
59 Maiden Ln, New York, NY 10038
Dear Commissioners Rodriguez and Tisch,
As we approach the August 3 deadline for businesses to apply to the permanent Dining Out NYC program, I am writing to express my concern about the lack of a coordinated plan to address the large amount of waste that will be generated by businesses electing not to participate. While DOT has laudably provided very clear information about how to comply with the permanent program, there is little-to-no information available about what a business owner should do if they want to take down their existing structure.
I am disappointed but not surprised by recent news that the number of applications to participate in the permanent program is lower than anticipated. The seasonal nature of the updated program creates a hardship for many businesses in terms of storage and costs, so it seems likely that a significant number of the thousands of restaurant and bar owners who participated in the temporary program will choose not to continue. The existing sheds that will have to come down are constructed of various materials, much of it recyclable or reusable, including wood, windows, and metal, as well as tables, seating, heaters, etc. Without guidance or support from the administration, I worry that this preventable waste will end up unused and in landfills.
As you are aware, restaurants and bars contract with private carters for waste collection. However, most of these carters focus on commercial waste and are not equipped to provide construction and demolition (C&D) waste services, which is an entirely separate industry. The recycling rate for C&D waste in New York State is about 64%, much higher than the rate for commercial or residential waste. Additionally, many resources exist for building materials reuse, including the City’s own DonateNYC platform and Materials for the Arts, as well as partners such as Big Reuse and Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Yet DOT has no information readily available on its Dining Out NYC platform regarding C&D waste haulers or reuse opportunities.
This is not only a huge missed opportunity to meet the City’s stated goal of reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills, it also has the potential to create a chaotic situation on our streets, with sheds coming down and no one to claim the associated waste. I urge DOT and DSNY to work together quickly to provide business owners who choose not to participate in the permanent program with information about how to responsibly remove their sheds, including opportunities to reuse and recycle materials, as well as how to contract with C&D haulers who are likely to recycle. As the original author of the legislation that created the emergency outdoor dining program, I want to see the permanent program be as successful as possible, and hope you will address this issue quickly before the sheds begin to come down.
Sincerely,
Antonio Reynoso
Brooklyn Borough President
