Megacities, Microhaulers and Food Waste: Lessons From New York

The world's population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 versus 7.7 billion today. By the year 2100, it will reach 10.9 billion according to the United Nations. The top 20 megacities (populations over 10 million) by this time will be in Africa and Asia based on forecasts by the Global Cities Institute. Developing economies continue to experience rapid urbanization, a growing middle class and expanding consumerism further placing stress on the earth's finite resources. Over time it is clear these societies will become the stewards of our planet for future generations. 

Managing a growing waste stream from excessive urban sprawl, rapid economic development and population growth remain a key challenge for many megacities across the emerging economies of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. New York City, a megacity, passed the Commercial Waste Zones Law in November 2019 to address substantial inefficiencies within the city's commercial waste sector. It also targeted various program goals including zero waste, worker rights, improved competition, and environmental health, etc. Of particular interest was the recognition of the city’s organic waste microhaulers and their inclusion in both the stakeholder engagement process as well as the final legislation. It highlighted the potential importance of this business model in addressing the city's organic waste challenges.  

Developing a robust food waste microhauling ecosystem can address numerous sustainable development goals in both developed and emerging economies. Further scaling the model across megacities worldwide may offer many of the world’s estimated 15-20 million informal waste workers an additional and rapid path to prosperity.

Microhauling: Insights from New York City

Microhauling is by no means a new concept. It exists everywhere in some form across many industries worldwide. In New York City microhauling is defined as the collection of less than one ton of waste per trip by zero-emission or low emission vehicles. Companies such as BK ROT, Reclaimed Organics, ROHO Compost, etc provide an essential function by collecting organic food waste from restaurants, hotels, and other commercial and institutional food establishments. These establishments are required by law to source-separate organic waste. Collections of smaller amounts of organic waste with no-emissions transport are more environmentally friendly versus the alternative. Microhaulers are limited to a cap on annual collections with zero emissions microhaulers capped at 2,600 tons/year and low emissions microhaulers are 500 tons/year. They can subcontract with the larger waste removal companies. The waste collected is processed by traditional composting methods at micro-sites throughout the city.    

Food Waste and Landfills: Responsible for 8% of Greenhouse Gases

In 2016 global municipal solid waste generated totaled 2.01 billion tons and is expected to grow to 3.40 billion by 2050 according to the World Bank. In megacities such as Lagos (13,000 tons/day), Mumbai (11,000 tons/day), Manila (9,000 tons/day) and Jakarta (7,000 tons/day) many landfills approach capacity well ahead of initial forecasts. Food waste is estimated at 1.3 billion tons annually with a combined economic, social and environmental cost of $2.5 trillion. The source of more than 8% of greenhouse gas emissions, food waste's impact on climate change is frequently overlooked and oftentimes gets lost in the debate. For example, in Australia, the amount of annual greenhouse gases from food waste exceeds that of the iron ore and steel industries combined. Recent studies suggest global food waste may be significantly worse than initially thought. 

In attempts to combat food waste, communities employ various strategies focused on prevention, recovery or recycling. Many of the strategies in developed markets lack portability into emerging markets. Reasons vary but relate to cultural, fiscal, logistics, technology, etc. 

The informal waste sector, prevalent in many emerging economies, remains a vital part of the waste management ecosystem as many waste pickers dig through mountains of trash searching for recyclables. Often marginalized in society, these workers suffer from poor living conditions and significant health issues including, cancers, respiratory, musculoskeletal and other conditions. These workers continue to sit on society’s edges despite providing an invaluable service across many communities worldwide.      

Scaling Globally: Developing A Robust Ecosystem

Developing more resilient and scalable pre-landfill models remains essential to combating the food waste challenge on a global scale. Microhauling food waste, particularly in the emerging economies of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, can scale with the ability to create value for many stakeholders. Food waste is a highly valuable waste stream and when processed can aid in soil fertility, produce animal feed, water, and energy. It can even be utilized in consumer products such as cosmetics. 

Microhauling and micro-sites within urban areas can be redesigned to process food waste and incorporate additional environmental technologies. Technologies range from rapid (12-24 hour) composting, clean water production, commercial EV charging, solar power, medical oxygen, and micro-scale carbon capture. These are multi-billion-dollar markets providing ease of access for the by-products produced from the ecosystem.

Some Final Thoughts: Toward a More Inclusive Model:

Technologies available to address the world’s environmental and climate challenges are plentiful. However, technology alone cannot solve the world’s sustainable development challenges. Significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from food waste requires broader stakeholder engagement including citizens, civic organizations, local and global businesses as well as the informal sector. In countries such as India, attempts are being made to use technology to bridge the formal and informal sectors. Recycling and reuse activities can generate anywhere from 10 to 30 times more jobs than traditional landfilling and incineration. For the world’s informal waste workers, a scalable microhauling and micro-site model can be value-creating significantly improving the lives of these workers in megacities across the world.