DSNY releases strategic plan update for 2018

Two years after the release of the New York City Department of Sanitation’s (DSNY’s) first-ever strategic plan, the department published its 2018 Strategic Plan Update July 19, providing an update to the goals set to ensure the current and future needs of an evolving city are met.

The 2016 Strategic Plan is a four-year blueprint to fortify the department’s services, enhance employee and public safety, modernize the department’s fleet and facilities, develop the department’s workforce and lead New Yorkers to send zero waste to landfills by 2030.

“Over the last year, we have made significant progress on a number of fronts, including zero waste, cleaning, snow operations, public engagement and professional development,” DSNY Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia says. “We have grown our curbside organics collection program to be the largest in the country, increased litter basket service in every borough, opened the new Hamilton Avenue Marine Transfer Station, and dramatically expanded our use of technology in the field. At this halfway point, it is important to recognize all that we have achieved so far, but also to reflect on challenges ahead and to set new milestones where we have delivered success ahead of schedule.”

During the last year, the department:

• Expanded electronics waste service to two million New Yorkers, with 15 million pounds of e-waste diverted since 2013
• Set a 10-year monthly record high for street cleanliness ratings, with increased litter basket service in every borough
• Opened the Hamilton Avenue Marine Transfer Station and NYC Compost Project site in Gowanus, Brooklyn
• Grew the largest curbside organics collection program in the nation, now serving 3.5 million residents
• Outfitted all 693 salt spreaders with turn-by-turn technology to improve route coverage during winter storms
• Fully deployed SMART (Sanitation Management Analysis and Resource Tracking) with 17 paperless districts, up from five last June
• Began a renewable diesel pilot for sanitation trucks in eight districts, and tested an electric hybrid street sweeper
• Hosted the first-ever New York City Food Waste Fair in cooperation with the Foundation for New York’s Strongest
• Launched the Commissioner’s Awards for Excellence with new awards categories to expand employee recognition agency-wide
• Supported disaster response in Puerto Rico with 31 employees providing services on the island for three weeks

DSNY committed to 12 goals and 46 corresponding initiatives to guide its work in the 2018 Strategic Plan Update. In total, the department has now achieved 20 of the original 46 initiatives—up from 15 at this time last year. An additional 24 original initiatives have been partially achieved, and two others are underway. Further, the 2018 update includes four new initiatives that build on those already achieved, including:

• Increasing participation rates for curbside recycling programs,
• Redesigning the city’s green wire mesh litter baskets,
• Testing pretreatment methods to reduce the impact of snow storms, and
• Developing a roadmap for a DSNY Museum.

The 2018 Strategic Plan Update, the 2017 Strategic Plan Update and the 2016 Strategic Plan are available online.