Commercial Waste Zones Plan - DSNY

New York City Department of Sanitation


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Commercial Waste Zones Plan
The Future of Trash
Private Carter Study
Solid Waste Management Plan
Waste Characterization Studies
Waste Equity Law
Zero Waste Plan
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Commercial Waste Zones Plan

The Future of Trash

Private Carter Study

Solid Waste Management Plan

Waste Characterization Studies

Waste Equity Law

Zero Waste Plan

Archive


Commercial Waste Zones Plan

While DSNY collects trash, recycling, and composting from residential buildings, more than 90 different private carters crisscross the city each night to service the city's 100,000 commercial businesses, driving long, overlapping and unsafe routes.

The Commercial Waste Zone (CWZ) program divides the city into 20 zones, each served by up to three carters selected through a competitive process. Five citywide contracts are also awarded for the collection of containerized waste and compactors. The CWZ program will begin reducing truck traffic associated with commercial waste collection, eliminating millions of heavy-duty truck miles from NYC streets every year, while strengthening service standards and allowing for customer choice.

The first Commercial Waste Zone rolled out on January 2, 2025, in Central Queens.

CWZ Implementation Plan

DSNY released a CWZ Implementation Plan in November 2018, laying out a blueprint for the implementation of commercial waste collection zones across New York City.

Read Commercial Waste Zones: A Plan to Reform, Reroute, and Revitalize Private Carting in New York City.

Read the Commercial Waste Zones Plan Appendix.

The Commercial Waste Zones plan built on the 2016 Private Carting Study and provided the City’s recommended framework to move forward with the reforms.

Annual Reporting

DSNY must report annually on the progress of the Commercial Waste Zone program's implementation, including disaggregated data by zone and awardee.

2024 Implementation Report (pre-implementation letter)

Local Law 199 of 2019

On November 20, 2019, LL199 of 2019 requiring the establishment of Commercial Waste Zones throughout New York City was signed into law. The result of years of planning, analysis, and stakeholder engagement by DSNY, the CWZ program aims to create a safe and efficient commercial waste collection system while providing high-quality, low-cost service to NYC businesses.