Taking Compost into Your Own Hands

June 10 2020 | Renzi Wise

As New York City prepares for steep budget cuts in the wake of COVID-19, New Yorkers are preparing for the consequences of those cuts. On April 17th, the Department of Sanitation announced the suspension of its curbside compost collection. While many urban environmentalists are, understandably, dismayed by this news, there are plenty of ways to continue your composting habits during the suspension! Back in May we hosted a Creative Ways to Compost Workshop outlining some different options for taking your compost into your own hands… here are the highlights:

Vermicomposting

If you’re short on space, vermicomposting (or worm composting) is a great indoor or outdoor composting option. All you’ll need is a worm bin (a plastic container works or you can build your own out of untreated, non-aromatic wood), bedding material for the worms (shredded paper works well!), and the worms themselves! While vermicomposting is a great option for folks without backyard space, worms can be picky eaters - worm composting may not be the best option for you if you go through lots of citrus or eat a lot of processed foods, meat, or dairy. Too much citrus can create an overly acidic environment and worms should not eat processed foods or other animal byproducts. If you do take the vermicompost path, you’ll be rewarded with rich, ready-to-use compost within four months!

Create a backyard compost pile

Outdoor space is hard to come by in New York City, but if you’re lucky enough to have a backyard (or even just a sliver of patio or rooftop space!) try creating your own backyard compost. You can construct your own bin out of wood, or buy a ready-made plastic or metal bin. Like with vermicomposting, you’ll want to avoid adding meat and fats to your outdoor compost as these materials are more likely to attract pests. Unlike vermicomposting - Citrus is A-OK for your worm-free compost! Mix your compost once a week to help break it down and you’ll be well on your way to finished compost within three months.

Private hauler

If you’re still not sure about creating compost yourself or don’t have any use for compost, find a private hauler to collect your food scraps! For Manhattan residents below 86th Street, Reclaimed Organics offers bike-powered residential compost pick-up once a week. If you’re in North or Central Brooklyn, BK Rot offers the same for a small weekly fee of $5. Sure We Can offers pick-up in East Williamsburg and Vokashi services all of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Simply keep your food scraps in your freezer until pick up day to minimize odors and visits from fruit flies, sit back, relax, and revel in your newly reduced environmental footprint!

The suspension of curbside organics collection is a difficult loss for many of us in the NYC sustainability scene. Luckily, it’s only a temporary loss and we know NYC composters to be an extra resilient, impassioned bunch of New Yorkers. Together, we will find ways to fill in the gaps and come back even stronger than before.

For more resources on the above composting methods, check out these helpful links:

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