Building a Smarter Waste & Resource Management System for Long Island

A New Approach: Balancing the Needs of Our Communities

Long Island’s waste and resource management system is at a critical turning point. With the Brookhaven Landfill closing in less than three years, we must take a comprehensive, data-driven approach to ensure that our waste continues to move efficiently, sustainably, and equitably.

By conducting a complete evaluation of our resources and current infrastructure, we can design a new system that balances the needs of Long Island’s communities systematically—ensuring that waste management remains reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible for decades to come.

The Challenge: A Fragmented, Outdated System

Right now, Long Island’s waste system is fragmented, relying on a patchwork of local policies, aging infrastructure, and short-term fixes. Without a cohesive, long-term strategy, we risk:

🚨 Disruptions in trash collection and disposal – Waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities can’t function without a way to transport and manage the ash they produce.

🚨 Rising costs for residents and businesses – Inefficiencies drive up waste management costs, impacting municipalities and taxpayers alike.

🚨 Environmental and public health risks – Poorly managed waste leads to pollution, air quality issues, and contamination of natural resources.

🚨 Limited future opportunities – Without a Regional Asset Management Plan (R.A.M.P.), we will continue reacting to crises instead of proactively designing a sustainable system.

The Solution: A Systematic, Balanced Waste Management Plan

To meet the needs of Long Island’s communities, we must move from reactive crisis management to a proactive, long-term strategy. That means:

✅ Conducting a full resource evaluation – Understanding how much waste we generate, where it goes, and how we can optimize its movement.

✅ Developing regional infrastructure – Including rail-based transport for ash and recycling to reduce costs, emissions, and truck congestion.

✅ Leveraging AI-driven systems like R.A.M.S. – Using real-time data to optimize waste flows, predict inefficiencies, and make informed decisions.

✅ Balancing economic, environmental, and social needs – Ensuring that our waste system is equitable, cost-effective, and sustainable for all communities.

✅ Creating a Regional Ash Management Plan (R.A.M.P.) – A structured plan to safely transport, manage, and repurpose ash beyond landfill dependency.

Building a Smarter, More Sustainable Future

Waste and resource management is not just an operational issue—it’s an essential service that impacts every Long Island resident, business, and municipality. By taking a systematic, balanced approach, we can design a system that works for everyone—one that is efficient, resilient, and future-proof.

The time for action is now. A failure to plan today means a crisis tomorrow. We must move beyond fragmented solutions and commit to a unified, intelligent approach to waste and resource management.

💡 Be part of the solution. Explore R.A.M.S. today and help shape the future of waste management on Long Island.