Haki Compost Collective volunteer Julia Ferguson reports:

Due to proposed NYC budget cuts, the last Haki Compost Collective Roosevelt
Island Food Scrap Drop Off collection

will be Saturday December 16, 2023.

We received the letter below from the Big Reuse Manager of Community Partnerships. The situation is serious and this is the week when we need community participation 1. Sign the petition at Grow NYC

2. Submit testimony online , on zoom, or in person for Dec. 11th Finance Hearing

3. Attend Rally and Press Conference on Wednesday Dec 6th 12-1pm City Hall
Park

4. Call or write Council Members
(ie Julie Menin for our district.)

  • ask our CM’s to urge DSNY Commissioner Tisch to reinstate Community
    Composting
  • ask CM’s to discuss and vote to restore these programs in the budget line because these programs are part of the health and safety infrastructure in our city “Please do all that you can to change the city budget plan that eliminates Community Composting (Green Bin) programs.The community compost programs like the NYC Compost Project (Big Reuse, Lower East Side Ecology, Earth Matter, Snug Harbor) and GrowNYC play a vital role in our city. “

  • Reasons:These 115 essential green jobs mean that NYC

    • diverts over 8 million pounds of organic waste from landfills;
    • gives finished compost to over 335 community groups and thousands of individuals
    • createsstorm resilient soils across the city that mitigate flooding
    • provides compost education to over 600,000 New Yorkers
    • educates widely about prevention of rats in NYC
    • This essential service supports New York’s climate goals – a keystone service in this regard.

Ms Ferguson shares shares the letter from Big Reuse:

Dear Community Compost Partners,

Due to the Citys financial crisis and elimination of funds for community
compost programs, we regret to inform you that we can no longer offer food
scrap hauling service.Saturday, December 16th,will be the last food scrap pick up date. On this date, we will
collectallthe green Toters and any extra bins you may
have received.


Please have toters with food scrap or emptied out ready for collection,
if you are not receivingweekly hauling we will still be coming by
for any remaining toters that may be used for compost or browns
distribution.We also will be hanging signage at your site in the next week or two to
help spread awareness of this closure to all your neighbors and
participants. Attached is the signage that we will have laminated and
hanging (if applicable).

We want to thank you for being a part of our community composting family
and providing a valuable service for your community. On a personal note,
it has been incredibly joyous and fulfilling to partner with so many
incredible community groups and gardens across our city to support
sustainable practices and direct climate action.

To help keep the community strong, we recommend joining theNYC Community Composting Google Group. If youre interested in learning about updates to our community
composting program, please check our websiteand thepetition page.


From our team at Big Reuse , we thank you for this collaboration and hope our
paths cross again

As previously reported:

… The Haki Compost Collective thanks you for dropping off your food
scraps on Saturdays. Since November 2015, we have collectively diverted
over 341,017 pounds of food scraps from landfill, or 170 tons,
equivalent to 85 SUV’s in weight!

Several dump truck loads of nutrient-rich compost have come back to the
Island trees, flowers and gardens and been given back to neighbors for
their house plants….

Roosevelt Islander