Handling NYC's Growing Garbage

Danielle Jackson

To educate New Yorkers on ways to reduce waste and save money, the New York Department of Sanitation (DOS) has introduced an interactive waste prevention website, www.nycwasteless.org.

The website is divided into three categories for city residents — individual, government and businesses — to show how each group can further prevent waste. For instance, the residential section is broken down to include home, shopping, work and school sections. A virtual home tour and shopping trip allow users to browse through different rooms of a house or store, choose an item, and learn practical ways to reduce product waste, energy usage and toxicity.

The government section details case studies and includes a step-by-step tutorial and worksheets on conducting a waste assessment, opportunities to reduce toxic product use, and an environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP) guide, which is published by the DOS and highlights an in-house EPP policy designed to save money and create a safer work environment.

The business section presents newsletters and waste prevention tips tailored for nine business sectors -- airports and airlines, hospitals, manufacturing, restaurants, retail, retail food, schools, stadiums, arenas and convention centers.

Additionally, the website features re-use and recycling resources, including a list of organizations that collect and recycle business byproducts, and business relocation assistance, which features step-by-step instructions to make a business relocation less wasteful.