Implementation of the Eighth and Ninth Commercial Waste Zones and Infrequent Waste Generators (Amended)

Comment by date: March 5, 2026

Rule Full Text
DSNY-Proposed-Amendment-re-Implementation-of-the-8th-and-9th-Commercial-Waste-Zones-Infrequent-Waste-Generators-1.pdf

In 2019, New York City enacted Local Law 199 requiring the establishment of a new program for the collection of commercial waste. The program, known as the Commercial Waste Zones (CWZ) program, is a safe, efficient, and competitive collection system designed to provide high-quality service to New York City businesses while advancing the City’s waste diversion and sustainability goals. Pursuant to Local Law 199, codified in Title 16-B of the New York City Administrative Code, the geographic area of New York City has been divided into 20 CWZs. Pursuant to a request for proposals process, three private carters providing commercial waste collection services were selected by the Department to serve businesses within each CWZ, and five carters were selected to provide citywide containerized commercial waste collection services to businesses that use dumpsters and compactors. The selected carters are referred to as “awardees.” The resulting contracts with the awardees include standards for pricing, customer service, safety, environmental health, and requirements to promote the City’s commitment to recycling and sustainability. Local Law 199 requires the Department to issue rules setting forth an implementation start date and a final implementation date for each CWZ established. See Ad. Code § 16-1002(e)(3). Different implementation start and end dates may be established for different CWZs. The Department previously set the implementation start and end dates for the following CWZs: Queens Central, Bronx East, Bronx West, Queens Northeast, Brooklyn South, Queens West, and Lower Manhattan. This rule would set the implementation start date and final implementation date for the next two zones: Midtown South and Staten Island. This rule would also remove the implementation start date and final implementation date for the Queens West zone. Subsequent rules will set the implementation dates for the remaining 12 zones. Additionally, Section 16-116(a) and (b) of the New York City Administrative Code require commercial establishments to have a Business Integrity Commission (BIC) licensee remove their waste, and post a sign noting the day and time that such establishment’s trade waste is picked up or, if such establishment removes its own waste, the sign must note the registration number issued by the BIC. Section 16-116(c) exempts from these requirements any commercial establishment that generates infrequent or insignificant amount of waste, and authorizes the Sanitation Commissioner to promulgate rules determining what constitutes infrequent waste or insignificant amounts of waste. Section 1-06 of Title 16 of the Rules of the City of New York currently provides that commercial establishments must generate less than one gallon of trade waste within a seven-day period to meet the definition of infrequent waste or insignificant amounts of waste to be exempt from the requirements of Section 16-116(a) and (b). This rule would create an application process for commercial businesses to apply to be considered a generator of infrequent waste. This rule is necessary to ensure the Department has a system for determining if a business is a generator of infrequent waste and exempt from the requirements Section 16-116(a) and (b). The Department’s authority for these rules is found in Section 753 and Section 1043(g) of the New York City Charter and Titles 16 and 16-B of the New York City Administrative Code.

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