Joyce Bialik testifies on litter basket disparities and plastic bills
Joyce Bialik, chair of the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board's Plastic Task Force, supports oversight of waste equity and Intro 1041. She presents data showing East Harlem has fewer litter baskets and dirtier blocks than the Upper East Side and asks for hearings on plastic reduction bills.
So I'm Joyce Bialik, chair of the Plastic Task Force for the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board and a member of WIAC for Environmental Justice that has endorsed my testimony.
I support your oversight of waste equity and environmental justice, 2585, as well as oversight in removal of litter baskets, Bill 1041.
So Bill 1041.
1041 will require the sanitation department to consult with the council and community boards before removing litter baskets.
With fellow members of WE ACT, I studied disparities in the distribution of baskets based on a community's affluence.
In 2023, with a larger population in East Harlem, 76K, than in the Upper East Side, 60K, East Harlem had 69 baskets to 2.
60 in the Upper East Side.
In addition, only 17% of four street corner baskets were found in East Harlem compared to 95% in the Upper East Side.
In our Madison Avenue dirty block study, we found 51% dirty blocks in East Harlem, 6% in the Upper East Side.
Less baskets, dirtier blocks, of course.
These are environmental justice issues that can be eased with Bill 1041, which will require consultation with community boards before baskets are removed.
Now just briefly about plastics.
There are current council bills addressing plastic designed to reduce plastic in our midst.
Plastic is an environmental justice issue.
Plastic is produced from fossil fuels.
Low-income people of color disproportionately reside near sites where there's drilling and refining for oil and gas, where
toxic chemicals are released, sites that are near polluted rivers and groundwater and near landfills and incinerators.
So we seek a hearing for the following council plastic bills, 69, 300, 781, 795.
They pertain to plastic beverage containers, artificial turf, and water fountains.
Although these bills, they're not introduced.
through this committee in order to adhere to 2585 regarding oversight of environmental justice.
We are asking you to please reach out to your colleagues to hold hearings for them.
Thank you so much.