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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Citywide composting program expansion and success
0:16:14
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170 sec
Commissioner Lojan highlights the success and expansion of the citywide composting program, which now serves the entire city with simple, universal weekly collection of compostable materials.
- The program provides weekly collection of leaf and yard waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper products on recycling day
- New Yorkers have set weekly tonnage records for composting
- Free compost distribution sites are being added across the city, with plans for locations in every borough
- Smart bin composting bins will continue to operate alongside curbside service
- There are plans to require source separation of organics at all commercial establishments
Javier Lojan
0:16:14
Just like with containerization initiatives, our citywide composting program is something that many of the cynics believe we couldn't have, and New Yorkers are proving them wrong every single day.
0:16:24
While curbside composting programs have existed in New York City for the last decade, until last October the last October, none had ever served more than approximately 40% of the city.
0:16:34
When mayor Adams took office, he committed to developing a universal program that works for New Yorkers and the team at the SNY set to work developing a model built for long term success.
0:16:44
The resulting program is now running an entirety for of our city, providing residents with simple universal weekly collection of leaf and yard waste, food scraps, and food soil paper products on the recycling day.
0:16:56
That simplicity is the most important part of the program.
0:16:59
There is no need for sign ups, special dates to remember, or specific locations to visit within limited hours.
0:17:05
Simply place your materials out on the recycling day, your sanitation workers will collect it from your home, and we'll ensure it's put to good use.
0:17:12
This is the composting programs for all New Yorkers.
0:17:15
Make the separation of compostable material easy and people would do it.
0:17:19
I've seen these programs operating for a long time.
0:17:22
I've never seen numbers like what New Yorkers diverted in April when they set weekly tonnage records three weeks in a row.
0:17:29
New Yorkers wanna help the environment.
0:17:30
They wanna fight rats.
0:17:31
And with this program, they're doing both.
0:17:34
Composting has a benefit, not just for our environment more broadly, but also for New York City gardeners.
0:17:39
We give tens of millions of pounds of high quality New York City compost away for free during the spring, summer, and fall.
0:17:46
But for many years, you had to either catch a pop up event or drive to a site in Staten Island to get it.
0:17:51
Last year, we added a second site in Greenpoint that is accessible by cyclists, pedestrians, and public trans transit.
0:17:57
And earlier this year, we added a third site in Astoria.
0:18:00
I am proud to share that New Yorkers are composing so much that we that that we will add a fourth site in Eastern Queens before the end of this season.
0:18:08
And we are working to identify locations in The Bronx and Manhattan as well, bringing the service to every borough.
0:18:14
Some of you have asked me whether the success of curbside composting program means the popular smart bin composting bins are going away.
0:18:21
These 400 bins where residents can drop off their compostable material twenty four seven through an easy to use smartphone app are complementary to curbside service and will continue to operate.
0:18:32
We are making great strides in residential diversion by applying simple, easy to understand rules citywide, and we believe the same should be true for commercial organics.
0:18:41
While the commercial way zone system will improve commercial diversion and that the s n y is requiring Carter's to charge businesses less to collect recyclables and compost than to collect trash, we were thrilled to see that the council is also considering a bill to allow the s n y to require source separation at all commercial establishments.
0:18:59
We believe this will bring clarity to a confusing system and will help the environment while fighting rats.