Waste exchanges are used as one of many means for integrative waste management plans to meet recycling goals set individually by states. NY Wa$teMatch is just one of several hundred successful waste exchanges nationwide. Their goal to divert waste from the landfill by helping companies and institutions find alternative methods to use waste constructively. In addition, they work to keep businesses in New York City that can support reuse and recycling in order to maintain the demand for these materials. The Industrial & Technology Assistance Corporation (ITAC), a not-for profit corporation, has run NY Wa$teMatch with assistance and funding from the New York City Department of Sanitation (DOS-BWPRR) since 1997.

If the citywide budget cuts go into effect for DOS BWPRR, NY Wa$teMatch will lose approximately 40% of its funding from the city this year. In 2002, NY Wa$teMatch secured a matching grant from Empire State Development that would have enabled the program grow and create more impact on diverting waste in New York City as it moves into its sixth year of operations. Now this expanded support will go to simply maintain the programs on-going operations. The program will most likely have to turn people away whom they were expecting to be able to serve due to staff limitations.

In 1999, the Department of Sanitation received an EPA grant in order to create an on-line exchange component of the NY Wa$teMatch program. This website now serves as a means for all of New York to benefit from the matchmaking opportunities available in New York. This tool was slated for an upgrade this year in order to increase the amount of tonnage diverted by allowing New York businesses and institutions to make matches on their own without the assistance of Wa$teMatch staff.

The program is solely an information service, there is no warehouse as is the case for Materials for the Arts. Too often, tons of material that qualify as a match do not get exchanged because of storage or time limitations. If the program had a warehouse space, much more material could be recovered.

In summary, this program promotes waste reduction through its on-site waste reduction technical assistance programs. It promotes reuse through its citywide materials exchange programs. It promotes recycling by matching various generators of waste with various recycling companies. NY Wa$teMatch is one only a handful of NYC’s innovative waste reuse and reduction programs. It should be expanded to help address our growing waste problems, and reduction in City funding at this time just does not make sense.

• Served close to 400 NYC Companies & Public Sector Institutions
• Diverted approximately 8,000 tons of valuable materials from NY City waste stream
• Saved NY City businesses and institutions over $885,000 in garbage hauling and materials purchasing costs
• Reduced its cost per ton to DOS as of December 2002 to $32 a ton
• Percentage of BWPRR budget = .005%

• Helps keep small businesses in NYC by saving them money
• Makes New York City businesses more efficient by reducing waste and reducing costs
• Helps businesses to comply with local recycling laws and ensures that they are receive proper disposal and recycling services

A Sunset Park Produce Distributor

Over the next year, our project with this company will have saved this company $158,981, will have reduced waste at the source by 796 and 814 tons diverted from the landfill.

Helped the MTA sell 9 oil storage tanks weighing 8.5 tons that would not sell at auction. The MTA realized $20,000 in revenues from the transaction while the buyer saved $30,000 in purchasing costs.

A Williamsburg Beer Company

Has saved $5725 in just three months through recycling!

Over the next year, our project with this company will have diverted 272.2 tons of plastic film and cardboard from the waste stream and will have saved $27,560 in disposal costs.