by Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., Board of Directors, GrowNYC, and Co-founder, The Quiet Coalition
Sami Grover, Treehugger, writes that the New York City’s Sanitation Department has been testing a fully electric refuse vehicle this past year. The refuse vehicles must have performed well, as Grover notes that the DSNY has decided to buy seven more electric refuse models from Mack Trucks. In other words, the Mack truck was less polluting and quieter. In addition to quieter streets and cleaner air, Grover writes that the use of these new electric refuse vehicles will “most likely save taxpayers money in the long run too.”
As a New Yorker who has heard the roar of garbage trucks coming down my street early in the morning, I know my fellow New Yorkers will not miss being awakened by early morning garbage pickups. But with more than 6, 000 DSNY vehicles making New York City “the largest refuse department in the world,” most New Yorkers will have to wait for “that extra sleep in the morning.” Yet, the purchase of these seven trucks is a step in the right direction.
What was also encouraging about this article were the quotes from the DSNY Commissioner Edward Grayson and Deputy Commission Rocco DiRico. Both expressed an awareness of climate change, recognized the need to lower emissions and noise pollution, and see waste reduction as a goal for New Yorkers. Kudos to New York City’s Department of Sanitation.
