Composting
general info | manhattan compost project | food scrap drop-off program | our in-vessel system | composting with worms indoors | backyard composting

General Info
Composting is nature's way of recycling. Compost forms naturally when biodegradable materials such as leaves, twigs, grass clippings, fruit and vegetable peels, eggshells, coffee grounds or teabags decompose. The result of this process is a dark, crumbly material that looks and feels like soil and has an earthy smell. Compost is an all-organic soil amendment, which improves water retention and adds valuable slow-release nutrients to the soil.

Gardeners have long made and used compost because of the way it improves garden soil. In a city like New York, composting programs could contribute significantly to reducing the amount of waste that is burned or dumped in landfills. The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) collects roughly 11,000 tons of ‘garbage’ every day, and according to DSNY’s waste compositions analysis, organic materials – anything from yard, wood to food waste – make up 26 % of the waste stream. That is 2,860 tons per day, and roughly 1 million tons per year of material that could be composted.

The Ecology Center has offered compost collection and education programs since 1990 and is advocating with other like-minded groups to increase compost programs in the city to create a greener and self-sustaining New York City. For more information on ‘zero-waste’ planning for NYC, check out the compost section in www.consumerunion.org/other/zero-waste

We are active with a variety of composting activities: our drop-off program , indoor composting and backyard composting with worms.

!NEW! View our 2008 Compost Calender