Mayor Jim Kenney and other officials on Monday unveiled the Zero Waste and Litter Action Plan. The report was produced by Philadelphia’s Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet, which was convened through the Mayor’s Executive Order to shape the City’s efforts for reaching the goal of zero waste by 2035.
“The cabinet was brought together to put Philadelphia on a path of zero waste by 2035,” said Zero Waste and Litter Director for the City of Philadelphia Nic Esposito. “That means that we will be keeping out of landfills and recycling or composting 90 percent of our waste in the City of Philadelphia. We also came up with a very strategic litter plan to clean up Philadelphia well before that time.
“Sixteen people sit on the cabinet including people from across city government in different agencies and community stakeholders who have been working on the plan throughout a large subcommittee system,” he added. “What’s going to make this plan succeed from other plans is that it’s very interdepartmental. We’re bringing everyone to the table. This is the outcome of many people working hard together.”
Philadelphia disposes of nearly 1.5 million tons of residential and commercial waste each year. The city’s commercial recycling rate was 45.4 percent and its residential recycling rate was 20.3 percent in 2014. It is estimated that 400,000 tons of organic waste like food scraps and yard waste are thrown away as trash in Philadelphia annually.
By moving toward the goal of Zero Waste, Philadelphia will join cities like Los Angeles, New York City and Atlanta in establishing progressive sustainability goals to address waste management and the public perception of litter and waste.
“Philadelphia disposes of nearly one ton of waste for each of our 1.5 million residents,” Kenney said. “While everyone knows cleaning up litter is important, we also have to concentrate on reducing waste before it has the chance to become litter. I appreciate the Cabinet’s hard work on this action plan, which I believe is a great blueprint for achieving those vital goals.”
Some of the measures the cabinet identified in the plan to help the city reach its goal include: advocating for products that eliminate need for incineration or landfill burial; recover items for reuse, resale, recycling or utilization as waste to energy material; implement a process to manage the flow of resources and waste created by different communities, sectors and institutions; promote low-impact or reduced consumption lifestyles; encourage the reuse of discarded material to stimulate local economic and workforce development; and improve access to recycling and opportunities for organic material recycling.
The cabinet also identified 31 recommendations to enhance regulations, policies or ordinances regarding long-running issues such as short dumping, construction and demolition waste planning, vacant lot abatement and plastic bag use.
“We need people to get involved,” said P.E. Deputy Managing Director of the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems Michael Carroll. “The Action Plan spells out what the city can provide to help residents keep their block clean. By making those resources easily accessible, residents will be able to maintain the cleanliness of their blocks and their communities.”
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