Local
NYC Compost Project
The NYC Compost Project, created by the NYC Department of Sanitation in 1993, provides compost education and outreach to NYC residents, community groups, city agencies and non-profits. The NYC Compost Project offers compost-related workshops and classes, runs the Master Composter Certificate Program, provides technical composting support, distributes DSNY compost & mulch, develops urban farms, and tables at public events throughout all five boroughs. The NYC Compost Project also operates neighborhood-based food scrap drop-off opportunities and ensures that those food scraps are composted locally.
Each NYC Compost Project offers a home composting demonstration site, a compost telephone helpline, and compost-related workshops and classes for residents, teachers, landscapers, and other interested parties.
NYC Compost Project hosted by the New York Botanical Garden
Compost helpline: (718) 817-8543
bronxgreenup@nybg.org
NYC Compost Project hosted by Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Compost helpline: (718) 623-7290
compost@bbg.org
NYC Compost Project hosted by Lower East Side Ecology Center
Compost helpline: (212) 477-3155
info@lesecologycenter.org
NYC Compost Project hosted by Queens Botanical Garden
Compost helpline: (718) 539-5296
compost@queensbotanical.org
www.queensbotanical.org/compost
NYC Compost Project hosted by Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden>
Compost helpline: (718) 425-3558
compost@snug-harbor.org
2014 Community Composting Report
Read about how NYC's organics waste collection pilots are going and how the program will move forward. Interesting stuff... with lots of pie charts, graphs and maps (for those of you who prefer pictures to words).
NYC Compost Project hosted by Build It Green!NYC
3-17 26th Ave.
Astoria, NY, 11102
compost line: 718-777-0132 x6
compost@bignyc.org
www.bignyc.org
NYC Compost Project hosted by Earth Matter NY
info@earthmatter.org
www.earthmatter.org
Earth Matter NY Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the art, science, and application of composting in and around New York City. The organization seeks to reduce the organic waste misdirected into the garbage stream by encouraging neighbor participation and leadership in composting. They have an incredible Compost Learning Center on Governor's Island where they compost yard waste from Governors Island and 28,000 lbs of food scraps from Governors Island and NYC community members each month! And they have goats!
CommonGroundCompost.com
CommonGroundCompost.com is the compendium of composting in NYC. It's loaded with over 300 resources on composting, recycling and waste management practices—and it's broken down to address the needs of different groups (city residents, schools, businesses and community gardens).
Reclaimed Organics
Reclaimed Organics is a pilot program for compost collection services for East Village residents & businesses. Bringing food scraps by bike to local community gardens for composting, or consolidating them for processing outside the city.
The Compostess
Rebecca Louie is a certified Master Composter, journalist, beekeeper, and friend to all worms. She is also the author of the must-read-super-fun, “Compost City: Practical Composting Know-How for Small Space Living!”
GrowNYC
Through greenmarkets, gardens, teaching and recycling/composting programs, GrowNYC works across the five boroughs to make New York the most sustainable city. They're awesome!
Harlem Grown
Harlem Grown's mission is to inspire youth to live HEALTHY and AMBITIOUS lives through mentorship and hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability and nutrition. They're awesome!!!!!!
Urban Garden Center
Urban Garden Center is a third-generation, one-stop shop for city gardeners. It is NYC's largest garden center located on 116th and Park Avenue at La Marqueta. There is also a community compost drop-off site and a super social chicken coop.
National Composting Resources
US Composting Council
The USCC is a national, non-profit trade and professional organization promoting the recycling or organic materials through composting. The USCC is the only national organization committed to the advancement of the composting industry.It provides resources, educational materials, training, networking, and career advancement opportunities for professionals and all those affiliated with the composting and organics recycling industry. USCC members include compost producers, marketers, generators of organic residues, policy makers, regulators, equipment manufacturers, product suppliers, academic institutions, public agencies, nonprofit groups and consulting/engineering firms.
Biocycle Magazine
Published since 1960, BioCycle is the foremost magazine on composting, organics recycling, anaerobic digestion and renewable energy. It is the official magazine of the US Composting Council.
Cornell Waste Management Institute
CWMI is a program in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. The institute serves the public through research, outreach, training, and technical assistance. There is a ton of useful information on their website.
Other Important Links
596 Acres
596 Acres is a public education project aimed at making communities aware of the land resources around them. With the goal of a food sovereign New York City in mind, 596 Acres is helping neighbors form connections to the vacant lots in their lives. If you want to start a garden on that vacant lot on your block, check this site first to see who owns the land. The site has done a lot of the work for you already.
The name ‘596 acres’ comes from how much vacant public land existed in Brooklyn alone as of April 2010. Wow!
Citizens Committee Composting Grants
Citizens Committee for New York City, the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB), and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer have partnered to offer grants to start, expand and grow composting programs in all five boroughs of New York City. Grants of up to $750 are awarded to community groups working on neighborhood composting programs. How awesome is that?
Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board
The Solid Waste Advisory Board of Manhattan is a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to increasing recycling, reducing solid waste, and advancing solid waste policy in New York City. Follow them on facebook!
Just Food
Just Food empowers and supports community-led efforts to increase access to locally grown food, especially in underserved New York City neighborhoods. Just Food provides training and education to community members to help them launch projects like farmers’ markets and CSAs, provide education in basic culinary and urban agriculture skills for their neighbors, and advocate to make their corner of New York City a healthier place to live and eat. Their annual conference is not to be missed.
NYSAR3
NYSAR3 is the State Association that Represents New York State’s Recycling Community. They have regular meetings in NYC and periodically host meet and greet happy hours! Yay!