“New York State Working Towards A Circular Economy With New DEC Plan”

The NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently released its Solid Waste Management Plan with the goal of ensuring the state is empowered to lead the way in reshaping how residents deal with waste.

DEC Director of Materials Management Dave Vitale said the plan builds on collective efforts people have been making to lower the amount of waste being produced and helping raise awareness around waste.

The DEC also awarded $2.2 million in grant funding to different emergency food relief organizations to help reduce food insecurity in the state and lessen the amount of waste in landfills. According to Dave Vitale, “Food donations are a method to both help the many people who are hungry and reduce the amount of food that ends up in landfills which generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.”

The plan lists six major goals to be achieved by 2032:

1. Reeducation and Reuse
2. Development of Recycling Markets
3. Toxics Reduction
4. Non-Aerospace Cleanups
5. Sustainable Land Management
6. Sustainable Manufacturing

DEC Director Dave Vitale entreats everyone to reassess their personal waste production. He said, “Waste is managed differently in various places, but we all generate it and can make a difference by changing how we view it.”

The DEC’s Solid Waste Management Plan seeks to inspire and provoke real change in attitudes towards waste production in order to become more aware of our planet’s finite resources and be mindful of future conservations efforts.