Sierra Club supports municipal composting proposal in New York

The Sierra Club Susquehanna Group voiced its support of a proposal to establish a three-stream hybrid solid waste disposal system brought forth to the Binghamton City council by one of its residents, Richard Jannaccio.

The group says it views the proposal as an environmentally responsible and fiscally practical solution to Binghamton’s solid waste management challenges.

“Implementing a system that diverts food scraps and other organic materials from the landfill will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, and extend the operational life of the county landfill, as well as reduce tipping fees for Binghamton,” the Sierra Club says.

The group added that the proposed three-stream approach, separating recyclables, compostables, and residential waste, aligns with guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and supports the intent of New York State’s Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law.

According to the proposal filed with the Binghamton City council, the three-stream waste disposal system “provides the best solution to Binghamton’s blue bag concerns in an environmentally responsible way, addresses concerns raised by residents and financially benefitting both residents and the city.”

The proposed three-stream hybrid solid waste disposal solution would call for residents to use blue bags only for non-compostable waste in addition to the city addressing various issues of concern, recycling to remain as is and food scraps placed separately in a covered bin or a compostable bag.

In addition, garbage that does not fit in bags, like broken furniture, can be set out with or without stickers (as the council sees fit). The proposal notes that one of the reasons stickers were discontinued is because they were even less popular than the blue bags.

“As one of the major organizations helping to protect the environment in the Binghamton region with hundreds of group members residing in Broome County, the Susquehanna Group recognizes that effective waste reduction and materials management are central to community sustainability and urges the Binghamton City Council to move this request for legislation forward,” the Susquehanna Group says.

The Sierra Club says its mission is to explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of earth. The Susquehanna Group covers Broome, Chenango, Sullivan and Delaware counties, as well as parts of Tioga and Otsego counties, all in New York.