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NYC Expands Composting Program To More Neighborhoods In Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 24, 2017
Modified Mar 24, 2017
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Scott Lynch / Gothamist
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 24, 2017
Modified Mar 24, 2017
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NYC's Department of Sanitation is moving its curbside composting program into dozens more neighborhoods, like Williamsburg and Long Island City, in order to reach 3.3 million residents by the end of 2017. City Council Member Peter Koo, who represents Flushing, was among those who welcomed the news, saying, "An ineffective waste management undermines the sustainable development of our city. Through the NYC Organics Collection pilot program, DSNY helps to keep nutrients in the community, produce renewable energy, and most importantly, raise public awareness about reducing greenhouse gas emission."
The composting program began in 2013 under Mayor Michael Bloomberg and has been rolled out to nearly one million residents so far. (Park Slope has had it since 2014.) The Department of Sanitation announced:
The first districts to receive service as part of this year’s expansion are Brooklyn Community Boards 1 and 16 in May. Brooklyn Community Boards 2, 13 and 15 will also receive service in June... The curbside program will continue to expand through the summer and into the fall including Community Boards:
Brooklyn 7
Brooklyn 11
Brooklyn 12Bronx 8
Bronx 10
Bronx 11
Bronx 12Queens 2
Queens 7
Queens 8
Queens 9
Queens 14
shows you what neighborhoods are in which Community Boards.
The Department of Sanitation hopes to make curbside composting or neighborhood drop-off sites for food scrap/yard waste available to all of the city by the end of 2018. Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia said, "Organic material - food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard waste - make up about a third of what we throw away, but it’s not trash. Putting your food scraps and yard waste to good use decreases the amount of garbage going to landfills and helps create a greener and healthier New York City. We thank all of the residents currently participating in organic waste collection, and look forward to welcoming millions more New Yorkers to the program this year."
If you're wondering if your building will be involved in or can participate in the composting program, check out this link. For instance, "Apartment buildings in all Manhattan neighborhoods are eligible for organics collection service," says the DSNY. And here's a map of all neighborhood drop-off sites.
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composting
department of sanitation
food compost
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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