Alia Soomro of NYLCV supports Intros 30 and 352

Good afternoon.

My name is Alia Sumro, and I'm the Deputy Director for New York City Policy at the New York League of Conservation Voters.

Thank you, Chair Sanchez and members of the Committee on Sanitation for the opportunity to comment.

One of NYLCV's top priorities is achieving our zero waste by 2030 goal to not only curb our greenhouse gas emissions, but to send less waste to landfills, which are disproportionately located in low-income and communities of color.

The higher rates of pollution from landfills and incinerators in these communities cause disproportionately higher cases of asthma, cancer, and other health issues, and compound already existing environmental and racial inequities.

Our city needs to move toward a system where we reduce waste in the first place in order to minimize the burden on EJ communities, whether in New York City or elsewhere, and a system where resources are reused and recovered.

When it comes to the bills being considered today, MILCV supports Intro 30, requiring a program for city-owned non-residential buildings to dispose of their waste in containerized waste receptacles.

We are pleased that the Momdani administration is moving toward a full citywide commitment to waste of residential containerization by 2031.

We think it's important for the city to move towards full waste containerization, including for city-owned buildings.

But we also think it's important for the bill to take into account what's realistic, considering different city-owned buildings and building typologies.

We also support the intent of

Intro 352, requiring DSNY to develop a plan for promoting proper disposal of rechargeable batteries used for powered mobility devices.

With the rise of e-bikes and e-scooters throughout the city, lithium-ion rechargeable batteries will continue to proliferate, especially given these devices help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

So it's crucial that we implement proper disposal of recycling these batteries.

NYLCV supported the extended producer responsibility for batteries at the state level.

That was approved by the governor in December of 2025.

So just wrapping up, now that that state law is being implemented, we think it's important for the city council bill to consider the state bill being implemented and to tailor it accordingly.

We look forward to working with the city council, the admin, and other stakeholders to move toward our zero waste goals.

Thank you.