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Queens Solid Waste Advisory Board pushes for more local composting as city finalizes 2026 plan
Summary
QSWAB chair Susan Latham told the borough board that Queens' organic capture is about 10% and urged the Department of Sanitation to expand local composting, improve outreach and enforcement as the city seeks comments on the 2026 Solid Waste Management Plan.
Susan Latham, chair of the Queens Solid Waste Advisory Board (QSWAB), summarized the borough's feedback on New York City's draft 2026 Solid Waste Management Plan and urged stronger local composting and enforcement.
Latham described the plan process and outreach: the Department of Sanitation released a roughly 500‑page draft on Oct. 1 with a 45‑day comment window that was later extended to Jan. 16 after City Council sanitation hearings began later than planned. QSWAB held a virtual hearing on Oct. 22 and solicited testimony from residents and organizations; the advisory board is compiling those comments for submission to DSNY.
On materials and capture rates, Latham cited city data showing an estimated 36% of residential waste is organics and about 32% recyclables, but said Queens' capture of organics is low: "Well, about 10%." She explained most curbside organics currently go to Newtown Creek anaerobic co-digesters or Fresh Kills rather than to local composting sites, and said QSWAB will recommend prioritizing local organics processing, community composting, micro‑hauling and expanded education.
QSWAB noted community testimony identifying disproportionate local impacts from transfer stations and export practices in Jamaica, Long Island City and College Point, and called attention to enforcement gaps for illegal dumping and litter that contribute to flooded catch basins and localized pollution.
Board members and community chairs raised implementation challenges: building supers often lack storage or consistent pickup arrangements for organics, multiunit buildings face logistics and enforcement challenges, and residents described missed pickups and inconsistent DSNY service. Several speakers urged the borough to press for baseline funding rather than temporary allocations for programs such as Sunday library service and for continued funding for community composting outreach that was defunded during the pandemic.
QSWAB asked community boards to appoint representatives and announced a membership drive and an introductory Zoom meeting scheduled for Jan. 28 to broaden participation. Latham provided contact information and invited boards to consult the tracknyctrash site and QSWAB's materials for district-level diversion data.
Why it matters: as New York City updates its 10‑year solid waste plan, decisions about processing capacity, pickup schedules, enforcement and community outreach will determine whether the city can meet diversion goals and reduce health and environmental impacts on neighborhoods that host waste infrastructure.
What's next: QSWAB will submit its testimony to DSNY by the comment deadline and follow up with community boards about membership and local projects; community boards will be encouraged to nominate members to QSWAB and to use DSNY data tools to track performance.
