There are currently 5100 permitted food vending carts in New York City, with that number set to increase by 445 each year for the next ten years. Most of these food carts use fossil fuel generators, which emit harmful air and noise pollutants that negatively impact both the environment and vendor health, yet vendors lack clear and affordable alternative technologies to reduce these emissions. 

 

In 2021, SVP launched Environmental Justice for Vendors, by Vendors, a collaborative effort to design, build, and ensure access to more environmentally sustainable and healthy vending technology that reduces the environmental footprint of New York City’s food carts and trucks. During the research stage of the program, carried out during 2021 – 2023, SVP engaged vendors and other stakeholders in a collaborative effort to identify more sustainable vending technology and proactively anticipate barriers to scalability and adoption. From 2021-2023 SVP has identified and tested a lithium-ion battery that is effective and long-lasting enough to provide a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel-based generators for street vendors. 

 

In 2024, we are launching the pilot program by providing this technology to ten vendors and conducting community outreach and education with vendors across the city. This environmental justice program has the potential to vastly reduce the environmental footprint of New York City’s food carts and trucks. The transition to green vending carts will also support vendors’ financial wellbeing, protect the crucial economic role they play in their communities, and build up resilience to extreme weather events. 

 

This project acknowledges that vendors are not usually invited into conversations around environmental justice, technological innovation, and environmental policymaking, and centers the lived experiences of vendors to prioritize environmental solutions that meet their needs. 

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There are currently 5100 permitted food vending carts in New York City, with that number set to increase by 445 each year for the next ten years as the city implements local law 18 to increase the number of permits for vendors. Most of these food carts use fossil fuel generators, which emit harmful air and noise pollutants that negatively impact both the environment and vendor health, yet vendors lack clear and affordable alternative technologies to reduce these emissions.