A commercial trash pile next to outdoor seating on Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn.

The Center for Zero Waste Design (CfZWD) has been working with Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council (PHNDC) to develop recommendations for improving waste management on Vanderbilt Avenue in Brooklyn, home to an Open Street at weekends in the summer months.

The increased pedestrian traffic and use of Vanderbilt Avenue as a communal space for social gathering does not align with the current waste management arrangements, which place residential and commercial waste on the sidewalk prior to collection. Trash and recycling bags on the sidewalk are visually unappealing, obstruct access, cause increased litter and attract rats.

Cyclists and pedestrians use the Open Street while trash bags are piled at a street corner basket.

Funded by a grant from The ABNY Foundation, the project included surveys of residents, businesses and visitors, visual inspections at peak waste set out times, quantity estimates from observations and projections, and a characterization study of litter basket waste.

Key recommendations included:

Establish a Zero Waste Business Program
The Open Street is promoted through a website that includes a business directory; this offers the opportunity to promote businesses that undertake initiatives to reduce waste.

 A mock-up of the Vanderbilt Avenue website business directory showing a "Zero Waste Business" filter, with qualified businesses highlighted in green. 

Examples of “Zero Waste Business” initiatives could include:

Reusables in-house:

    • Eliminating single-use tableware for dine-in indoor and outdoor customers

    • Offering draft beer, wine, or soda

    • Investigating returnable packaging for deliveries

Reusables take-out:

    • Taking part in reusable takeout and cup programs

    • Allowing visitors to fill water bottles in-store

Reducing and separating food waste:

    • Reducing disposal of unsold food through discount programs, and donation of surplus food, such as to local community fridges.

    • Separation of organic waste as well as recycling

    • Offering different portion sizes to reduce food waste

Encourage businesses to use reusable container programs for cups and takeout containers

Utilizing the collective power of the businesses on the Open Street, a communal reusable container network would allow cups and containers to be collected and deposited at any food and drink business on Vanderbilt Avenue. Public bins for return of reusable containers could also be established to make it easier for visitors. 

Hold a Zero Waste event

A Zero Waste event would allow business owners on Vanderbilt Avenue to meet suppliers of products and services that would help them reduce waste, and double as an educational event to showcase the practicalities and benefits of waste reduction initiatives.

Temporary recycling bins

The characterization study of street litter bins revealed a high proportion of recyclables. Public recycling bins are not common throughout the City due to issues of contamination, but the Open Street provides a more controlled environment. The provision of temporary bins during Open Street hours would allow for recycling bins alongside trash bins with bespoke signage and clear bags for better visibility.

A freestanding, clear-bagged triple bin system such as the Glasdon Orbit (left) or Clearstream Sortmax (right)would allow for recycling by visitors to the Open Street on a temporary basis. Pictures: Glasdon & Clearstream.

Additionally, a third bag could be dedicated to containers covered under the New York State Bottle Bill deposit return scheme. This would facilitate the movement of canners, who have been observed to operate on Vanderbilt Avenue, and would allow them to collect containers more quickly and easily.

Residential Food Waste Collection

The New York City Department of Sanitation does not currently offer curbside collection of food scraps and yard waste to residents on Vanderbilt. This was a key area for improvement cited in the resident surveys. In January 2023, "smart bins" were installed for public disposal of organic waste, which goes some way to addressing this.

Until the advent of curbside collections, by using collective purchasing, residents could procure a private solution for food waste collection, potentially in a shared enclosure.

Future shared waste containers for residential waste

Although DSNY’s fleet is not currently equipped to lift waste containers, the City is studying containerization as a potential future waste management tool. From projections of residential waste, blocks on Vanderbilt Avenue could be consolidated into 1-2 enclosures on each side for recycling and trash using 1100L wheeled bins, with an option for organics bins alongside. This would reduce the amount of trash on the sidewalk and facilitate collection.

A rendering showing the impact of containerization: from the current situation with trash bags on the sidewalk (L) to a proposed container system for trash, recycling, paper and cardboard and organic waste (R).

Shared Commercial Hauler Contracts

The upcoming Commercial Waste Zones in New York City will see commercial waste contracts revised, and offers an opportunity for businesses to jointly procure a hauler. This economy of scale could incentivize separation of food waste, the use of waste bins over bags, and reduce costs for businesses.

Commercial food waste separated into containers is a cleaner, safer and more sustainable alternative to disposing of it in the trash in bags on the sidewalk.

As a first step, PHNDC plans to hold two events: one to showcase suppliers of reusable containers to food and drink businesses, and one educational Zero Waste event to engage businesses around other actions they can take to reduce waste. At the same time, PHNDC will investigate the feasibility of showcasing Zero Waste businesses on the Vanderbilt Avenue website, and explore options for temporary communal recycling bins on Open Street days. This initial work is expected to be completed in Spring 2023.

Click here to download the complete summary of the project and recommendations.