Q&A: New York's Commercial Waste Zones mark a new era in waste for Interstate Waste Services

Back in 2019, New York City overhauled its waste management system by introducing the Commercial Waste Zones (CWZ) initiative. By dividing the city into zones — each served by a limited number of haulers — the initiative streamlines collection routes, lowers costs, and creates a safer system overall. Operating across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Ohio, Interstate Waste Services (IWS) recently secured 14 out of 20 zones in NYC — more than any other hauler — and is one of just five providers authorized for city-wide containerized waste collection.

Adding to this momentum, IWS recently built a $30 million MRF in New Jersey capable of processing up to 350,400 tons of recyclables annually. Notably, the facility features a glass-cleaning system that separates glass into three sizes for better recovery and is the only one of its kind in the region.

I caught up with Josh Haraf, market vice president of New York City for IWS, to discuss the new MRF, sustainability, and how the CWZ initiative is reshaping the future of waste management in one of the world's busiest cities.

Slone Fox: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the waste management industry today?

Josh Haraf: We are constantly challenging ourselves to operate more sustainably: finding cutting-edge technology, staying agile with best practices, and keeping people's safety at the forefront of what we do every day. We embrace the challenge to continue evolving along with the needs of future generations — that's our responsibility in this industry. We're always asking ourselves hard questions: "How can we adapt this process to reduce emissions? How can we integrate new technologies like AI to increase recycling rates at our facilities?"

This constant improvement mindset has allowed us to really uplevel our sustainability ambitions over the past few years. In 2022, we prevented 1.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions through recycling, generating renewable energy, and capturing landfill gas. The methane we capture from our Apex landfill in Ohio produces enough natural gas to power 30,000 homes a year! And by leading initiatives like Commercial Waste Zoning in New York City, we're further reducing truck traffic and cutting emissions. There's still a lot of work to be done, but we're proud of the progress we've made and will keep working with partners to make our industry as sustainable as possible.

SF: Can you explain the significance of the CWZ initiative for NYC's waste management system? What are the anticipated benefits and challenges?

JH: New York City generates nearly 3 million tons of commercial waste annually and that volume has historically been managed by over 90 different haulers. Within such a dense market, our industry has been challenged by traffic jams, pollution, de-segmented service, and ample room for improvement when it comes to overall service efficiency. This is the city that never sleeps and New Yorkers deserve an alert waste management system to keep them safe, clean, and proud of their communities.

In 2019, the NYC Council passed Local Law 199 to mold a new system to meet New York's unique needs. The historic legislation creates 20 Commercial Waste Zones across the five boroughs and allows only three companies to operate in each zone. This intends to make commercial waste management safer and more efficient by streamlining routes, cutting commercial waste truck traffic in half, and setting high safety and sustainability standards across haulers, all while providing customers fair, transparent pricing with elite customer service standards. This transformation is revolutionizing NYC's commercial waste management and will foster a safer, cleaner, and less congested city.

After a two-year selection process, the New York Department of Sanitation (DSNY) awarded our New York City subsidiary, Action Carting, licenses to operate in 14 of the 20 zones — the most of any hauler. We're excited and proud to be a leading partner in this new approach and look forward to building on our 25-year legacy of serving the people of New York City.

SF: How does IWS plan to manage the zones it has been awarded, and what strategies will be employed to ensure efficiency and safety?

JH: We'll do what we've always done: deliver excellent service to New York City customers with safety, efficiency, and sustainability at the forefront. Our experience operating in all of the Commercial Waste Zones has built an invaluable arsenal of expertise that we'll use to integrate new customers while continuing to serve existing ones. Our day-to-day operations won't change. We've built deep relationships with our customers and understand their specific needs and challenges. We're proud to keep supporting them as always, and now we can do it even more efficiently because we're serving more customers in the same area.

Safety remains our number one priority at IWS, and we're continuing to meet and exceed the safety standards established under the CWZ program. We've equipped all our trucks with Samsara AI-powered in-cab safety systems, the gold standard of fleet safety hardware, featuring GPS, dashcams to detect distracted driving, and real-time data dashboards for continuous improvement. We've also installed protective side guards across our entire fleet years before they were required in NYC. Our safety-focused investments in people, equipment, technology, training, and processes are a hallmark of our business, and we won't stop; our goal across our entire organization is zero — zero incidents, zero accidents, and zero injuries.

To ensure a smooth transition, we launched a new website, actioncarting.com, and continue to update our corporate IWS website with CWZ-related information so that customers can find their zone and get answers to frequently asked questions. We are also launching an online portal where customers can view recycling rates, pay bills, and submit service requests. Clear communication is key to a successful transition, and IWS will remain the go-to source for up-to-date CWZ information for our customers.

SF: Can you give me an overview of the new MRF in New Jersey and its key features? How does this facility compare to other MRFs in the region in terms of technology and capacity? 

JH: We're really excited about this! Our new MRF in North Arlington, NJ, is a $30 million investment to boost recycling rates across the tri-state area. Stepping into this facility feels like jumping five years into the future in terms of the technology we're using — it's the most advanced recycling facility in the region, bar none.

The MRF revolves around a Machinex system with two feed lines that can process up to 350,400 tons of recyclables annually. That translates to saving 3 million trees, 108,000 gallons of oil, and over a billion kilowatt-hours of energy every year.

It has it all — presort areas, OCC screens, ballistic separators, optical sorters to recover plastics and fibres, and magnetic and eddy current separators to grab metals. There's even an AI-powered SamurAI sorting robot that uses advanced cameras and a vacuum arm to make sure that every recyclable gets recycled. But the real showstopper is the glass-cleaning system — the only one of its kind in the region - that separates glass into three sizes for better recovery and marketability.
It's no exaggeration to say this is some of the most advanced recycling infrastructure in the country, and it's going to play a major role in helping us recover more recyclable materials from New York and the rest of the region.  

SF: In your opinion, what are the biggest opportunities for growth and innovation in waste management in the next decade?

JH: Circling back to what I mentioned earlier, sustainability isn't just a responsibility, it's also a huge opportunity for our industry. I mentioned how we're generating clean energy by capturing methane gas from our Apex landfill — well, we actually have plans to double that capacity by 2025. Capturing these landfill emissions is crucial for reaching climate goals, and it's an area where we're continuing to invest heavily.

I think AI plays a big role here, too. From optimizing collection routes to reduce truck traffic to AI-powered sorting like what we have at our North Arlington facility, this technology has the potential to make waste management and recycling more sustainable than ever before. It's an exciting time for the industry, and I'm proud to be a part of a company that's leading the charge.

SF: What lessons from New York City's experience with CWZ would you highlight for other municipalities looking to implement similar initiatives?

JH: I think in many big cities around the country, streamlining waste and recycling collection is key to achieving a variety of goals, whether that's improving public safety, boosting recycling rates, cutting emissions, reducing traffic, or generally enhancing the quality of life.

DSNY has already learned from other cities' experiences. For example, DSNY is taking a progressively collaborative approach, partnering with awardees to improve communication, learning, and a thoughtful implementation timeline. We're still in the early stages of implementation, but I'm optimistic that transitioning New York City to a CWZ model will cultivate transferrable lessons that could benefit many cities.

In terms of advice to take from New York's experience, I think the most important factor is choosing haulers who have a deep-rooted understanding of their communities and customers. Here's a good example: We service several entertainment venues and stadiums where the amount of trash and recycling fluctuates widely depending on event or game attendance. Being able to adjust service to meet those needs on short notice is crucial to prevent trash pile-ups. We've built the capacity to do that over the years by building a relationship with them, just like we build relationships with all our clients, all over the city. We've proven we can handle the diverse needs of our customer base, and I believe that's why we were awarded the most zones of any company.