Running head: LOCAL WASTE STREAM 1
Local Waste Stream
New York City is responsible for the production of residential, commercial as well as institutional waste, which consists of different types of waste altogether. As a result, it is important to understand the various dynamics associated with a local waste stream such as the one in New York. This is because it enables the establishment of means through which the issue can be addressed, such as garbage collection and disposal. Numerous dynamics describe the New York waste stream, thus the need to establish those very dynamics. Similarly, by establishing the dynamics surrounding the waste stream issue in question, it is possible to establish the implications of the issue on the society. Residential waste consists of dynamics that are characterized by the production, use, as well as, disposal within the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY). The aim of this paper is, therefore, to discuss how residential waste is produced, used, as well as disposed of, within the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY).
Production of Residential Waste in New York City
Residential waste consists of solid waste that comprises different types of trash or rubbish such as food scraps, newspapers, disposables, cans, yard trimmings as well as plastic and glass bottles. Over 8 million residents are living in New York, which results in the city producing twice as much solid waste as any other city in the world. Out of the 14 million tons of waste produced in NYC, New York residents, produce part of it, which is collected and managed by (Cohen, Martinez & Schroder, 2015) . Residents in the city pay the private waste collection and management Programme for their garbage collection. Residential waste in New York is produced through product use, food disposal, residues of used items such as cans and clothing, resulting in both organic waste and recyclable waste. Therefore, production of domestic or residential waste is attributed to household activities of the over 8 million residents living in New York.
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Use of Residential Waste in New York City
Depending on the nature or type of waste, residential waste in New York City is used for different purposes, as well as to achieve different results. With a population of over 8 million people, garbage production in the city is large quantities, thus the need to establish ways of using the same. The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) collaborates with other waste management organizations, such as the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), the Sims Multi Recycling Recovery Facility (Sims), and GreeNYC to use the subject local waste stream (Cohen, Martinez & Schroder, 2015). Among how residential waste is used is through activities such as recycling, waste reduction, as well as organic waste diversion and composting. The organic material undergoes composting and is later used by New York residents as organic manure for the farms in the state. Other waste items comprising the residential waste in New York such as bottles and cans are recycled, thus keeping the state free from pollution from the waste materials.
The manner in which the use of residential waste in New York influences the society can be described as having positive implications. For instance, New York residents are employed to collect and later manage the waste, thus the use of residential waste having created employment. Out of the over city’s $75 billion annual budget, $2.3 billion is used for the collection and management of both commercial and residential waste (Cohen, Martinez & Schroder, 2015). This explains the argument that using residential waste has resulted in the creation of employment, thus its benefit to the society. Similarly, by using residential waste in the form of recycling, controlling the issue of the environmental population occurs, thus a clean environment where members of the New York community can thrive. In waste-to-energy facilities, residential waste is converted into energy that is then distributed for use among New York City residents (Kinnaman, 2017).
Disposal of Residential Waste in New York City
In the past, the major form of garbage disposal, including residential waste, in New York was using landfills (Harrison & Hester, 1995) . Landfill garbage disposal consisted of burying waste materials in a bid to get rid of the same since items such as organic waste will decompose and even release nutrients to the soil in which it is buried (Reno, 2016) . However, with the passing of time, new methods of waste disposal have been adopted within New York. Among the methods of residential waste disposal is the recycling of certain residential waste items such as bottles and cans. Recycling is a way of disposing of residential waste as it entails finding a new use for items that would have otherwise been dumped on the ground or in water bodies, thus causing pollution. Disposal does not necessarily mean to get rid of something, but it can also mean to find a new use for something, thus making recycling a method of disposal. Lastly, there is also the disposal of residential waste in the city through waste-to-energy facilities, where the waste material is converted into energy, thus disposed of (Cohen, Martinez & Schroder, 2015) . This method of waste disposal is among the best because it has the benefit of a final product that can be used for multiple functions such as powering New York City.
Conclusion
New York City residents produce tons of residential waste from household activities such as cooking, which results in foods scraps as well as residual parts of food items that are disposable. However, the city’s waste collection management bodies such as New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has formulated ways of using the waste such as its conversion into energy, thus positively impacting the society. Similarly, the city has disposal methods like recycling that ensure the management of residential waste, thus preservation of quality of life and the environment.
References
Cohen, S., Martinez, H., & Schroder, A. (2015). Waste Management Practices in New York City, Hong Kong and Beijing.
Harrison, R. M., & Hester, R. E. (1995). Waste treatment and disposal . Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry.
Kinnaman, T. C. (Ed.). (2017). The economics of residential solid waste management . Routledge.
Reno, J. (2016). Waste away: Working and living with a North American landfill .
