Peninsula Affordable Housing Development Adopts Zero-Waste Goal

Phase One of the Peninsula, an affordable mixed-use housing development in the Bronx, is implementing a zero-waste strategy. As reported in Building Design + Construction and The Real Deal, the plan covers ways that both residents of the 740 residential units and commercial tenants can reduce and repurpose waste. Each residential unit will include under-the-counter bins for recycling and a caddy for food waste, and refuse rooms on each floor will provide designated containers for recycling by type of material, food waste, and small-item hazardous waste like batteries and sharps so that they are kept out of general waste. On the commercial side, food waste will be processed into fertilizer using a dry aerobic bio-digester. The commercial structure also provides refrigerated storage space so that the onsite food incubator can store leftovers for delivery to local food banks rather than dispose of the food as waste. Consultants will help train building staff on the waste reduction processes and will provide software to track progress toward zero-waste.