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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 7, 2022

CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov | (212) 306-3322

NYCHA Seeks to Bring Mechanical Garbage and Recycling Technology to Public Housing Developments in New York City

The efficient, pest-resistant method of waste disposal could improve the Authority’s ability to store and remove trash within 24 hours – a key mandate of the 2019 HUD Agreement

Click here to see a video of the innovative technology in action*

Video credit: City of Kissimmee, Florida

NEW YORK – Today, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking proposals from waste haulers and manufacturers of containerized collection equipment to develop a pilot program for bringing hoist-lifted trash collection to public housing developments. The technology would enable NYCHA residents and staff to deposit waste in above-ground or submerged containers that would then be picked up by specialized garbage trucks with mechanized hoist lifts. This method would enable residents to conveniently dispose of trash and recyclables while minimizing the number of trash and recycling bags set out at the curb.

“Ensuring that our buildings and grounds are clean and pest-free is a key focus of the Authority,” said NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ. “We want to source innovative ideas from industry leaders to re-envision our approach to waste management and are excited at the prospect of bringing this cutting-edge technology to New York City."

“Most NYCHA buildings were not designed for the modern waste stream, and while NYC Sanitation Workers are proud to support the dedicated NYCHA staff in keeping their buildings clean, new solutions may go a long way towards making this work faster and more efficient,” said NYC Department of Sanitation Commissioner Edward Grayson. “This RFI is a key step in investigating that possibility, and DSNY is standing by to support the Housing Authority and its residents any way we can in this important pilot.”

NYCHA buildings were built to incinerate trash on-site, with no storage space for garbage or recycling. Since incinerators were closed in the 1970s, NYCHA staff must manually move bags of trash and recyclables to the curb for Department of Sanitation (DSNY) pick-up. One-third of all NYCHA sites leave trash bags on the curb for collection, and all NYCHA sites leave bags of recyclables on the curb for collection. Bags of trash and recyclable items on the curb attract rodents and other pests, create mobility hindrances, and make the public space less attractive. Pest and waste management is a key pillar area under the 2019 U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Agreement, which stipulates that NYCHA store waste in pest-resistant containers until removed from the site – or that staff remove trash at least once a day. Additionally, New York City Administrative Code §16-305 requires NYCHA to recycle relevant materials. DSNY picks up recycling once per week, adding a challenge for those developments with limited capacity for storing recyclables.

In May 2021, HUD approved NYCHA’s $563.5 million City Capital Action Plan, which funds the Authority’s efforts to replace interior compactors that are past their useful life and redesign waste yards for more efficient trash, recycling, and bulk waste management at approximately 324 sites with 197 developments.

The Authority seeks to complement these capital investments by sourcing information from waste haulers and manufacturers to determine the feasibility of implementing above-ground, semi-submerged, or submerged trash and recycling containers that can be lifted through hoist-lifted garbage trucks. The mechanical waste collection method could be implemented at 75 NYCHA sites without sufficient space for a waste yard, which represents 26 percent of the Authority’s portfolio.

Used in numerous European cities, this method of waste removal is well suited for New York City, given the dense nature of the city’s infrastructure and the fact that utility systems are run underneath city streets. As New York City’s largest landlord, NYCHA officials are hopeful that successful implementation of a pilot program could create a local market for hoist-lifted waste collection – and estimates that the potential market at NYCHA for this method is a minimum of 33.5 tons a day.

Interested participants can respond to one or both categories: (1) the containers and related equipment to collect waste streams at NYCHA sites or (2) the hauling services that could practically and efficiently pick up refuse material.

Interested responders will answer NYCHA’s questions and include descriptions of existing products, timelines for pilot implementation, optimal pilot scopes, prototype and pilot costs, key challenges and additional considerations, and case studies where appropriate.

There will be a virtual RFI informational session on March 14, 2022, at 11 a.m. EST. For more information on the virtual info session and other deadlines, you can register with iSupplier, NYCHA’s free online procurement portal. If you have any additional questions or comments, please send them via email to procurement@nycha.nyc.gov.

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DISCLAIMER:

The video hyperlinked above is for illustrative purposes only.

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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to roughly 1 in 15 New Yorkers across over 177,000 apartments within 335 housing developments. NYCHA serves over 350,000 residents through the conventional public housing program (Section 9), over 20,000 residents at developments that have been converted to PACT/RAD, and over 75,000 families through federal rent subsidies (the Section 8 Leased Housing Program). In addition, NYCHA connects residents to opportunities in financial empowerment, business development, career advancement, and educational programs. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.

For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/nycha, and for regular updates on NYCHA news and services, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, and YouTube.