We can be part of the process by separating our organic matter from our garbage, just like we separate other recyclables.
By participating in the process we help reduce waste in our city, which means fewer sidewalk messes, and also drastically reducing the amount of land we need for our garbage.
Harmful auto emissions from garbage trucks
Costly masses adding up in already crowded landfills
Trips back & forth to distant landfills
Dangerous methane emissions into the environment
New York is exploring collecting and diverting organics in a variety of ways – some approaches are centralized involving the collection of food scraps by Department of Sanitation trucks, or decentralized involving local organizations, non-profits, & community gardens.
This legislation went into effect on October 2, 2013, establishing new laws for NYC that create opportunities for pilot programs
Some of these pilots have already started, and since the most recent expansion during the summer of 2015, residents living in the designated pilot areas of the city can now separate their food scraps for recycling – similar to how we already separate other recyclables like bottles and cans from the rest of our trash
As of February 2016, 723 schools (40% of schools in NYC) are participating in this initiative, with a goal to continue to increase participation throughout the city
The Lower East Side Ecology Center’s community compost program begins at a community garden on East 7th Street.
The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) creates the NYC Compost Project, which establishes compost education programs at the City’s 4 Botanical Gardens and the Lower East Side Ecology Center in Manhattan.
The Lower East Side Ecology Center began offering the residential compost collection program at the Union Square Greenmarket.
GrowNYC begins the residential compost collection pilot program at seven greenmarkets.
A cafeteria composting pilot program in eight public schools on Manhattan’s Upper West Side launches. The pilot is designed to test the viability of separating and composting food waste. Click for details D3 Green Schools NY.
GrowNYC Greenmarket collection program hits 1,000,000 pounds of compost collected.
Mayor Bloomberg announces more than 100 restaurants to participate in the “Food Waste Challenge.” A city program designed to reduce the amount of commercial waste sent to landfills.
D3 Green school pilot group expands to 89 public schools through the Department of Sanitation and the Department of Education.
New legislation passes for compost, which:
GrowNYC Greenmarket collection program hits 2,000,000 pounds of compost collected.
Waste Management and Newtown Creek wastewater treatment plant launch a one-year long pilot program to accept slurried residential food scraps and commingle them with wastewater for digestion, and analyze data from the new recipe.
Legislation Passes Regulating Commercial Organic Waste. This legislation requires restaurants, food service establishments of a certain size, and commercial operations that generate significant food waste, to source separate their organic waste by July 1, 2015.
Expansion of the Organics Collection Program continued through 2014, reaching 40% of NYC schools throughout the 5 boroughs.
Expand school collection to no less then 400 schools in all 5 boroughs.
Conduct a study on improving community composting, including:
Mayor de Blasio releases One New York (OneNYC): The Plan for a Strong and Just City, and outlines NYC’s goal to send Zero Waste to landfills and reduce waste disposal by 90% relative to 2005 levels, by 2030. The press release outlines the plan, and the full list of initiatives outlines the Zero Waste goals:
Yard waste collection will happen March 1st to July 31st and Sept 1st to Nov 30th each year.
GrowNYC Greenmarket collection program hits 3,000,000 pounds of compost collected.
Public Comment Period opens for the regulation proposals for the source separation and disposal of organic waste by commercial businesses in NYC.
Under this law, the following enterprises will be required to sort organic waste onsite and either: contract with a BIC-approved hauler for food scrap removal and transport to a processing facility; internally manage transport of the organic material to a processing facility; or begin utilizing an onsite food scrap processing technology:
To date, compost collection through DSNY was offered to 750,000 households in Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, Maps of the participating neighborhoods can be found on the DSNY website
The Mayor’s Zero Waste Challenge invites arenas, food wholesalers and manufacturers, all food service establishments in hotels, and other businesses, to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill or incineration by at least 50% by June 2016. Participating businesses will be recognized by the city, and there are no penalties for failing to reach waste reduction goals set during the Challenge
Spring 2016:
The Waste Management organic waste digestion pilot is set to resume at the Newtown Creek wastewater treatment plant