Queens Solid Waste Advisory Board gains formal recognition
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Applications are now open for the Queens Solid Waste Advisory Board, which has met in an organizing capacity for several years. Photo courtesy of QSWAB
By Rachel Vick
For more than three years, the Queens Solid Waste Advisory Board has been operating in an unofficial capacity, pushing for recognition mandated by the city charter.
On Monday, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards put out a call for QSWAB applications — fulfilling a commitment he made to board members during his 2020 campaign.
“I’m thrilled they recognized [us] as well as that Queens has been legally mandated to have a SWAB — and recognizing that it’s the right thing to do,” said Ridgewood resident Wylie Goodman, founder and Chair of the QSWAB Organizing Committee.
Three other boroughs already have SWABs, and the Bronx is in the process of formalizing their own. The boards advise the borough president on issues regarding waste, recycling, resiliency and environmental equity.
Anyone interested in joining the QSWAB can fill out an application, which includes a special box for individuals to check if they have participated on the unofficial board. Though Goodman said she hopes those individuals are given priority, she is “really excited” to see what opening the door to even more participants will mean for the board.
Formal recognition “will add more dedication and passion to the work that's already been done,” Goodman told the Eagle.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how this forms and evolves,” added Queens Village resident and QSWAB co-founder Amy Marpman. “I hope we can get the word out to encourage as many as possible so we can have an even wider reach.”
A 25-member team has been compiling a report on the “State of Waste” in Queens.
Goodman and Marpman said their main goal is to ensure “environmental issues remain at the forefront “ of policy and not just pay lip service to sustainability — a concept known as “greenwashing.” They hope the board will address unenclosed solid waste and the process of moving waste by rail through communities.
A Borough Hall spokesperson said Richards “deeply values and has worked closely with the QSWAB Organizing Committee, seeking their advice and input on this process since he took office.”
In a statement, Richards said the 20-member board will support his environmental mission.
“We will leave no stone unturned when it comes to ensuring environmental justice for all Queens communities, especially for our long-underserved neighborhoods and those areas most endangered by the perils of climate change,” Richards said.
“The Queens Solid Waste Advisory Board will be an invaluable source of expertise as we work tirelessly toward a zero waste future.”
