A State Senate Proposal to Generate Millions for NY state with recycling
Consider the fact that NYC alone generates 12,000 tons of garbage a day. Roughly 3000 tons of that is recyclables.
At present, the state spends $290 million a year to dispose of these recyclables, much of which ends up in incinerators.
When you take a step back and look at this, it becomes clear that Albany has been run with too many 1950s business ideas, on how to run a state.
This is similar to why we have had very little change when it comes to sensible green policy — largely because policies designed to initiate change tend to focus on incentivizing developing markets like “India” and “China” without regard for the ongoing increases in fuel oil and coal consumption.
This was the result of the Paris Climate Accord — and while Congressional hearings have identified coastal risks, and NYC alone is investing over $1 Billion on securitizing NYC’s Shores — state and domestic policy tends to grossly overlook near term and financially prudent opportunities to radically transform existing polluting industries.
And with international policy so poorly focused on moving technology forward — we need a radical revamp of how we address state and National policy to innovate.
In NY, take the Department of Sanitization DSNY and DEP restructuring that could be made to better focus on turning recycling from a cost center, to an opportunity for revenue generation.
Regulatory restrictions and red tape further complicate this, as new innovations, such as Low Oxygen garbage reactors are precluded from even being piloted, until the technology has been proven elsewhere in the US for a five-year period.
The $290 Million we spend annually on exporting plastics could easily be reduced by at least $100 Million, by developing a carting to power conversion program.
We could also, easily, tie in international trade opportunities, with North Africa and India —to reprocess recyclable plastics into goods, better empowering developing economies and without the high carbon cost of subsidizing power transformation overseas, often with little change over decades.
Because contrary to expensive Democratic policies, that work to give emerging markets a crutch, we could better be spending tax dollars and incentives on policies that help Americans improve the green outlook here while increasing economic opportunities for disadvantaged American communities.
With Recyclable waste collection, we should Localize production facilities — as the bulk of the cost with recyclables is logistics.
State and Federal R&D grants could be applied to develop a pilot with NYC startups like RecycleGo — which setup a WTE (waste to electricity) pilot generating 25 to 50 MW of power and ancillary Biproducts like diesel fuel. Because the amazing thing about low oxygen waste energy reactors, is that they solve a major recycling problem while providing our jobs and amazingly enough fuel back to the ecosystem.
A Public-private partnerships to create jobs and leverage opportunity zones, HUB zones and industrial incentive grants for small businesses and MWBE companies Would also radically jumpstart a new economic sector in New York. This could also be tied into either a federal infrastructure program or bipartisan efforts to support critical power infrastructure — Especially with our power grid recently coming under cyberattacks.
Similar WTE (Waste to electricity) pilots could be easily launched in states like Texas and California — Where there is a clear problem, in regards to what to do with recyclables.
While this technology has proven itself out globally, getting past the regulatory red tape and lack of understanding of the technology, within our political circles, will require time.
However, States passing ordinances looking to charge manufacturers for plastic waste may be the technological push we need.
Because green energy doesn’t have to mean carbon credits and wind farms - — It can mean sensible policy that starts with recycling —and ends with the leveraging of technology to transform in efficient industries into an economic boom opportunity for America’s future.
