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A new analysis of employment data by Transform Don’t Trash NYC finds that recycling and job creation go hand in hand: major cities that divert higher percentages of waste from disposal have outpaced New York in creating local jobs via recycling, reuse, and re-manufacturing of discarded materials.
With the adoption of ambitious Zero Waste goals and a process for creating a zoned commercial waste collection system, New York City has the potential to fundamentally change a longstanding, environmentally harmful solid waste system. With the right policy and investment choices, the zero waste approach is a major opportunity to:

  • Diversify our economy
  • Provide living wages and opportunities to thousands of working families, and meet the goals of our industrial development plan
  • Contribute to substantial reductions in the city’s greenhouse gas emissions