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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Andrea Lieske, Community Composter from Earth Matter
2:53:36
ยท
125 sec
Andrea Lieske, a long-time community composter currently working with Earth Matter, testified about the importance of funding and expanding community composting programs in New York City. She emphasized the critical need for continuous education and community engagement to improve the city's low recycling and composting rates.
- Lieske shared her personal experience with composting in her Harlem community garden and her current 56-unit building, highlighting the low participation rates.
- She stressed that making compost bins available is not enough, and that hands-on experience at compost sites is crucial for effective education.
- Lieske argued against implementing fines, suggesting that successful cities focus on community engagement to improve recycling and composting rates.
Andrea Lieske
2:53:36
Hi.
2:53:37
My name is Andrea Liske.
2:53:38
I'm a long time community composter.
2:53:41
I started composting in my community garden in Harlem on Saint Nicholas Avenue in 100 Seventeenth Street.
2:53:47
That experience set me on a path to work in composting and compost education, and currently I'm working with Earth Matter.
2:53:54
But today I'm here as myself representing myself only.
2:53:59
I'm here to ask, as everybody, I guess, to continue the fight for funding community composting.
2:54:08
The need to educate New Yorkers on the importance of compost, the compost process and how to participate is tremendous, as we have even heard from our council member.
2:54:23
I live in a 56 unit building, that's another example.
2:54:26
Our building produces barely one bin of compost, which is equivalent to about three households.
2:54:33
That means besides my family, there may be two other families that are composting.
2:54:38
So the city really needs to put compost education up front and center.
2:54:42
And from my knowledge as a professional, one of the most effective ways to teach people all aspects of composting is experiencing it.
2:54:51
Coming to a compost site, seeing the operation, getting their hands in compost activities, and basically witnessing the transformation of what most people consider garbage into beautiful black gold is just irreplaceable.
2:55:04
It is not enough to just make compost bins available, as we just heard from the commissioner.
2:55:10
In order for people to participate, continuous education is non negotiable.
2:55:15
New York City has dismissal recycling and composting rates and implementing fines.
2:55:21
Obviously, just looking at recycling rates will not be working.
2:55:25
If you look at cities that have successful recycling compost rates, they have focused extensively on community engagement.
2:55:34
So I want to thank you again for all the work that you have done so far, and please continue funding and expanding community composting.
Shaun Abreu
2:55:42
Thank you for your testimony.