One third of what New Yorkers throw away is food scraps and yard waste. Instead of sending it to landfills, we can use this waste to create compost. Composting is the process of breaking down organic matter, such as food waste, yard trimmings, and leaves, into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. There are so many benefits of composting!  

• Separating our food waste from our trash is a valuable tool in the fight against rats and pests in New York City.
• Composting diverts waste from going to incinerators, which causes air pollution and creates serious health problems. Incinerators are often sited in or near low-income communities of color.
• Composting keeps organic waste out of landfills, reducing methane emissions.
• Composting also improves soil health and structure, which in turn increases plant growth and reduces the need for water, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides.

There are three ways New Yorkers can turn their food waste into compost:

• At-home composting (e.g. backyard bins or worm bins)
• Drop-off composting
  • Smart Composting Bins (the orange bins located on sidewalks)
  • Community composting drop-off sites (e.g. community gardens and farmer’s markets)
• Curbside composting – Collected by Department of Sanitation (DSNY) trucks, the City is planning to expand curbside composting to every neighborhood in New York City (coming to Northern Manhattan by October 2024).

The goal of this survey is to find out:

• What do you already know about composting? 
• What are you already doing? 
• What obstacles are you facing?
• What concerns do you have?
• What are you willing to do to make composting easier in their neighborhood?

The survey is 20 questions and should take 5-10 minutes to complete.

If there are any further questions or concerns please reach out to:

Lonnie Portis

lonnie@weact.org

646-866-8720

Before beginning the survey:

For each question, please select the best answer for you and/or your household.

Below are listed some commonly perceived challenges and inconveniences of composting. Please check the box that best aligns with your thoughts on each perceived challenge or inconvenience.

The next set of questions will ask about how likely you are to help promote composting in your neighborhood:

The last set of questions will be helpful for the Zero Waste Subcommittee as we design different educational materials on composting to best assist different types of households (e.g. households with small children, with many members with different levels of interest in composting, etc.). Please answer these questions about yourself:

THANK YOU!