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The Green Party today called upon the City Council
and the NYS Legislature to reject NYC Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to end
recycling in New York City (with the exception of paper). The Greens
said the Bloomberg's proposal would increase garbage disposal costs for
the City's taxpayers.
"New York City has never done a good job of recycling and needs to
make immediate improvements. However, Bloomberg's proposal to junk
recycling shows that he is in serious need of a crash course in the
economics of garbage. Not only is recycling environmentally responsible,
it is fiscally prudent. I'm afraid his proposals reflect the process of
garbage in, garbage out. The Greens would be happy to give him a crash
course in recycling. , Bloomberg should solve the City's financial
problems by expanding recycling, not cutting it," said Masada
Disenhouse, a spokesperson for the Green Party.
Bloomberg has also proposed transforming the successful nickel deposit
program for soda. wine coolers and beer containers into a regressive
tax. Consumers would continue to pay the nickel deposit, but would never
have the deposits returned to them. Instead, the deposit is transformed
into a container tax with the money being set aside to restart the
city's curbside recycling program at some future date.
"The Bloomberg's recycling / bottle bill proposals make little to
no sense. The bottle bill should be expanded to require deposits on
on-carbonated beverages such as bottled water and ice tea. Bloomberg is
moving in precisely the opposite direction that City needs to be
moving," said Mark Dunlea, chair of the Green's State Legislative
Committee.
The Greens also called for increased efforts by the Pataki
administration at the state level to expand markets for recyclable
materials, and to reduce the amount of waste generated by passing
legislation to require packaging to be made of reusable, returnable, and
recycled materials.
"NYC already pays a lot to transport, bury and burn its trash in
other states. Eliminating recycling will increase these costs and leave
the City more and more at the mercy of the landfills and incinerators
which are beyond its control, and which could restrict trash shipments
or raise fees," said Craig Seeman, Chairperson of the Green Party
and a Brooklyn resident.
The Greens urged Bloomberg to raise additional revenues for the City by
pressuring the State Legislature to reinstate the commuter tax, and by
putting a halt to the practice of rebating the stock transfer tax. The
rebate costs the City $8 billion annually. Bloomberg should also urge
the State Legislature to amend the state's bottle bill to require
unclaimed deposits to be placed in a state recycling fund. The State of
Massachusetts utilizes this money rather than allowing the beverage
industry to keep this multimillion dollar windfall. Three of four New
York State residents redeem deposits under the bottle bill. Those who
don't forfeit millions of dollars each year.
The costs of eliminating recycling greatly exceed the few dollars that
would be saved. These costs include environmental damage and loss of
jobs. There is no question that reducing, reusing and recycling are far
better resolutions to solid waste issues than land filling. It is the
responsibility of the City to nurture and provide incentives for
recycling, not to give it up because of minor problems.
Ending an existing recycling program means that funds already spent on
public education, staff training and necessary equipment will be
lost.
"Thanks to years of education and practice, NYC residents are
comfortable with recycling, even appreciative. Suddenly proclaiming that
recycling just isn't all that necessary would not only make the City
look fickle and inept, it would ensure that reviving a recycling program
at a later date involves overcoming a skepticism barrier in addition to
the educational and habitual barriers we've already done so much to
conquer," added Ms. Disenhouse.
http://www.gpnys.org/
Craig Seeman 718 797-0045
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