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TESTIMONY

Justin Green, Executive Director of Big Reuse, on NYC Community Composting Programs and Funding

7:48:13

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Justin Green, the Executive Director of Big Reuse, testifies on the importance of restoring funding for community composting programs in NYC and allowing Big Reuse to remain at their Queensbridge composting site.

Big Reuse previously collected food scraps from 70 drop-offs across 3 boroughs and composted 2.2 million pounds at 3 sites
The elimination of community composting funding led to layoffs of 16 Big Reuse staff and 115 green jobs across 7 organizations
Green argues for expanding, not cutting, community composting programs to empower communities in responding to climate change
He requests the restoration of composting funds and for the Parks Department to allow Big Reuse's Queensbridge site to remain

Justin Green

7:48:13

Hi.

7:48:13

Thank you so much.

7:48:14

My name is Justin Green.

7:48:15

I'm the executive director of Big Ries.

7:48:17

Thank you to our amazing chairs, council members of Brea, Krishna, and Brennan.

7:48:21

We are grateful to the city council for the strong response to the mayor's budget and the demand that funds be restored for community composting and other essential community and arts programs.

7:48:32

The outpouring of support from constituents for community composting shows how our work impacts and engages.

7:48:39

We are here to ask for the restoration of community composting funding, and poor city council to ask the Parks department to allow big reuse to remain at our Queensbridge composting site.

7:48:49

Community Composting Funds, Master Compostor Certification And Composting Education at Potenac Gardens, Foods, scrap drop offs, like grown YC Commerce Markets, community composting programs at Lori Seidicology Center Earth Matter, Big Reefs, And Gardens Across the City.

7:49:04

Before the elimination of funding, BigQuery has collected from 70 food scraps drop offs across 3 bureaus, composting £2,200,000 at 3 composting sites and providing a 1000 cubic yards to 200 parks, community groups, and street repair programs.

7:49:18

We often provide an outreach for curbside collection that spoke with 70,000 residents annually about the new program.

7:49:25

Elimination of funding, community composting funding caused us to have to live 16 staff in addition to a 115 green jobs across 7 other environmental organizations.

7:49:37

It's frustrating to hear all the current YC employees who just lost their jobs today as part of that.

7:49:43

During a worsening climate crisis, we need to expand community composting and not cut it the need for programs that empower the community to respond to climate change should be obvious after an unprecedented year of climate impact in New York City.

7:49:57

Wildfire smoke, record rain, and high tides, flooding, New York City Neighborhoods.

7:50:02

Please restore community composting funding and save composting site underneath Greensboro Bridge.

7:50:08

Thank you.

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Maria Garrett, with New Yorkers for Parks, on Increasing the Budget for NYC Parks to Better Maintain Nature Preserves