Introduction to Community Composting
Nando Rodriguez from Brotherhood Sister Sol is leading a campaign to bring 1,000 composting sites to every borough. Meet Nando Rodriguez, a devoted supporter of community gardens and head of the environmental program at Brotherhood Sister Sol (BroSis). A Harlem-based non-profit focused on empowering Black and Latinx youth, BroSis proved last fall that they’re also serious about environmental justice when they started backing the 1K Composting Systems campaign.
The Importance of Composting
The practice of recycling waste can help the city on its ambitious quest to send zero waste to landfills by 2030. Carbon dioxide released from food waste that is dumped in landfills represents 20 percent of New York City’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, making it the third largest contributor behind buildings (35 percent) and transportation (21 percent). Composting is the act of recycling organic material like food scraps and reusing it as fertilizer for soil and plants.
History of Composting in New York City
Environmental activists have been asking themselves that question since the 1990s, when small-scale composting first took off in New York City, Rodriguez says. Community-run groups have been at the heart of driving the Big Apple’s composting movement forward. But unfortunately, these community composting groups rely mostly on government funding that hasn’t always been available.
Funding Cuts and Community Reaction
Last November, Mayor Eric Adams’ administration cut funding for the city’s community composting programs, propelling small-scale composters to rally for the cause. The administration has instead focused on rolling out curbside composting to all five boroughs—in which households can dispose of food scraps in brown bins set out for DSNY pickup—and through neighborhood “smart bins.” But much of the organic waste collected this way ends up being used for fuel instead of composting.
Securing Funding for Community Composting
Thanks to efforts spearheaded by City Councilmember Shaun Abreu, community composters secured over $6.2 million in the last city budget from a pot of money administered by the Council. BroSis will have enough funding to keep composting until June, when the current fiscal year ends. So far, the group has secured 12 composting sites for its 1K Composting Systems campaign and is building 25 more in the next six months.
The 1K Composting Systems Campaign
The campaign is to bring 1,000 composting systems to every borough in New York City. The idea of this is that if there’s 1,000 composting systems in every borough, most likely people can go two or three blocks and find a location in their community where they’re processing food waste. It’s not creating drop off sites because the issue with the drop off sites is that it takes the [waste] out of that community, and leaves the responsibility with [government] agencies.
Community Composting and Environmental Justice
Composting can help divert that food [waste] away from landfills, it can create green jobs. So when you talk about the value of gardens, you need to talk about the value of them in our communities. It is important to do community composting because it gives back the power to the community to continue to support environmental justice and environmental resilience.
Achieving the Goal
It’s super doable. There are a lot of organizations and a lot of community gardens spread throughout the city. So the location part of this is easy. The locations are definitely our community gardens, our churches, our schools. You know, grassroots organizations that have the space already. And composting can even be done on rooftops, you can do composting on concrete. You can do composting on grass or dirt. So it’s possible to add [these composting sites]. You don’t really need a lot for it.
Current Progress and Funding
Definitely don’t have enough funding, and we just started. So last year, I was able to install about 12 to 13 composting sites. So it’s moving at a slow pace, but that’s okay. Right now, with the budget that [the City Council] was able to find to save our compost for the year we were able to get some funding to use to build 25 more sites in this coming six months. We’re also going for grants.
Conclusion
In conclusion, community composting is a crucial step towards achieving environmental justice and reducing waste in New York City. The 1K Composting Systems campaign aims to bring 1,000 composting sites to every borough, providing communities with the power to process their own food waste and create a more sustainable future.
FAQs
Q: What is community composting?
A: Community composting is the practice of recycling organic material like food scraps and reusing it as fertilizer for soil and plants within a community setting.
Q: Why is community composting important?
A: Community composting helps divert food waste away from landfills, creates green jobs, and supports environmental justice and resilience.
Q: What is the 1K Composting Systems campaign?
A: The 1K Composting Systems campaign aims to bring 1,000 composting systems to every borough in New York City, providing communities with the power to process their own food waste.
Q: How can community composting be achieved?
A: Community composting can be achieved by securing funding, identifying locations such as community gardens, churches, and schools, and building composting sites.
Q: What are the benefits of community composting?
A: The benefits of community composting include reducing waste, creating green jobs, and supporting environmental justice and resilience.
