The deadline for Bronx businesses to secure a contract with one of the companies approved by the city to haul away commercial waste is less than a week away and business owners could be stuck with more expensive services if they miss the Sunday, Nov. 30 deadline, according to the Department of Sanitation (DSNY).
The second phase of DSNY’s rollout of the new “Commercial Waste Zones” launched borough-wide on Oct. 1 for the two zones, Bronx East and West. Businesses will be required to negotiate a contract to manage their trash with a private company, a so-called “carter,” that services their zone before the deadline or the city will assign them a carter at the maximum rate with the most infrequent service, according to DSNY officials.
Pedro Suarez, the executive director of the Third Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) in the South Bronx told the Bronx Times that many of the approved carters have already been operating in the borough. He said that business owners should check with their existing trash collectors to ensure that their contracts are covered under the new regulations.
“ Usually, the carters have relationships with each other, so if a referral is needed, the private carter can make that referral pretty easily,” Suarez said. “If they [businesses] have further questions, they can certainly reach out to their local Business Improvement District.”
The city approved a law in 2019 overhauling the system of over 90 different garbage companies tasked with removing tons of waste from the city’s retailers, grocers, delis, restaurants, gyms and all other businesses in the five boroughs. These carters drove large, heavy garbage trucks all over the city each night to collect trash and recycling from their customers.
Critics of the system described a disorganized tangle of garbage truck routes, rife with inefficiencies, safety hazards and substandard service quality.
Now the city is divided into 20 Commercial Waste Zones which consolidate the routes and use only a fraction of the providers from the old system.
Juan Saldana has coordinated some of the outreach campaign from DSNY in the Bronx. He said that the new system aims to improve a laundry list of failings with the old system.
“ The benefits of the Commercial Waste Zones: competitive bidding keeps costs low, transparent pricing, discounted rates for recycling and organics, stricter customer service standards, increased training and safety standards, greater operational efficiency, less commercial traffic, safer, quieter streets, improved air quality, higher recycling and organic rates.”
Each Commercial Waste Zone is covered by up to three carters that will provide garage pickup, recycling and organic waste removal services.
The Bronx is covered by Action Environmental Services, Recycle Track Systems, Royal Waste Services and 5 Borough Waste Removal.
What Bronx business owners should know
Suarez told the Bronx Times that business owners should first check with their current trash collector to make sure that they are an approved carter for the East and West Bronx Commercial Waste Zones.
Some businesses may qualify for exemptions, like those which operate as nonprofits or office buildings. To find out more about exemptions and request garbage collection service through DSNY, go online to request nonprofit service or a professional, fee based service.
According to Javier Medina, the executive director of the Southern Boulevard BID said that many of the business owners in his area already have a contract with one of the waste management companies that won contracts with the city.
“ Their garbage collectors are local, so they don’t want to switch,” Medina said. “They’re happy with the service that they have.”
While the transition to the new Commercial Waste Zones may be seamless to many Bronx businesses, others might need to change providers and renegotiate contracts. DSNY officials said that business owners should follow a five step process:
Evaluate – get an overall sense of how much waste the business produces and how often it needs to be picked up.
Identify – find the corresponding commercial waste zone for the business and identify the approved city carters for the area.
Compare – use the city’s free tools to calculate the maximum price for waste collection based on service needs.
Negotiate – negotiate a contract that is below the maximum price. The city’s tools allow business owners to view maximum costs of all competitors for a fair negotiation.
Sign – sign a new service agreement for waste collection through an approved carter by Nov. 30. Customers will have 30 days to change their chosen carter before penalties are issued.
Securing a contract before the deadline ensures businesses can choose a waste hauler that matches their service needs and avoids the city assigning one by default. Officials say that taking action now can help business owners maintain continuity and avoid disruptions as the new system takes effect.
Reach Sadie Brown at sbrown@schnepsmedia.com or (214) 994-6723. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
