Businesses pushback against city's new trash rules set to roll out this summer
NEW YORK CITY - The proposed solution from the sanitation department to address New York City’s rat problem center of focus in Thursday’s hearing —
Turns out the solution is producing a few problems of its own for restaurant owners.
The Department of Sanitation’s proposal shared back in May would require all-food related businesses to put their trash in bins.
NYC gears up for citywide food scrap composting rollout
The city council signed a bill that will require New Yorkers to separate food scraps from yard waste in order to cut down the amount of garbage in landfills.
The policy change is getting some pushback from the city’s hospitality alliance and restaurant owners like.
"It is not feasible," said Andrew Rigie, the executive director of NYC’s Hospitality Alliance.
"We have a lot of small restaurants throughout the 5 boroughs that just don’t have room to store these big rigid dirty garbage cans in fox preparation areas next to where customers sit," he added.
He represents business owners like Jeremy Wladis who owns three businesses on the Upper West Side.
"We’d have to move tables out and put the garbage cans pretty much in the dining rooms with the people if they want something to that nature. It’s just no space in any of restaurants and they’ve been restaurants for many many years," said Wladis.
The eateries which currently go through a private carter for trash collection would be responsible for obtaining their own bins that would be placed right outside if their restaurants.
He’s hopeful the city takes a closer look at other options small businesses like his can actually handle.
Following Thursday’s hearing a final rule could be published as soon as next with an effective date. According to a source familiar with the matter that date could be as soon as this fall.