Waste and Recycling

Waste Characterization Study

Client: New York City, NY

As part of this study which characterized and quantified waste generated in all five boroughs in New York City, Cascadia managed and supervised six sampling crews and four sorting crews spread among four transfer stations. Over the quarterly sampling period, Cascadia collected over 4,000 samples from nine unique socioeconomic strata. Sampling of single-family, multi-family, and street-basket refuse and recycling occurred during each of the four seasons. Cascadia sorted samples into 92 material categories and weighed it by category, providing the city with a clear and comprehensive view of its waste generation and disposal patterns across geographic, seasonal, demographic and material sectors.

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Cascadia began to immediately overhaul the way Resource Venture services were marketed, delivered, and tracked; ultimately resulting in superior outcomes. Among the dramatic changes we noted were (1) an increased level of accountability; (2) a more strategic focus; and (3) service documentation that demonstrated a more effective and efficient program. In particular, Cascadia’s “targeting and tracking” database made it possible to focus on the biggest commercial resources users with the greatest potential for conservation, and then measure their progress over time. The program’s unique targeted approach is extremely cost-effective; Cascadia has helped reduce the City’s program costs from about $100/ton diverted in 2006 to about $45/ton in 2008.

- Phil Paschke, Seattle Public Utilities