On a cool October morning, I joined Big Reuse’s composting team at Malcolm X Garden in Queens as we worked together to install a new 3-bin compost system for the community. We started by preparing the area, leveling the ground, spreading gravel, and setting pavers to make sure the bins would stay secure and keep out rats. Watching everyone work, I noticed how much thought and effort went into building a solid foundation so the bins would last through all kinds of weather. It made me think about how much care goes into creating something that will support the community for years.
I saw volunteers like Danny and Priyanka bring a lot of warmth to the day, especially when they welcomed a group of students and their teacher who came by to learn about the garden. Their openness made me realize how composting and caring for the community can spark curiosity in young people. At the same time, Josh and Colin worked hard leveling soil, moving compost, and helping put the bins together. Seeing everyone pitch in made it clear to me that this was about more than just building new bins. It showed how much stronger a community can become when people work together toward a shared goal.
Elena, Manager of Outreach & Education at Big Reuse, shared how meaningful this project has been not only for individual gardens but also for the larger network of composting sites across the city. She explained that the aluminum bins were originally designed in 2021 by a community garden in Woodside called Resistance is Fertile, after their wooden bins began to rot and attract rats. Since then, Big Reuse has helped bring this design to gardens in every borough, creating a more reliable and lasting solution for community composting.
Elena shared, “We want to make gardens more resilient and self-sufficient,” emphasizing that each new installation helps reduce the need for long-distance hauling and gives communities the tools to manage food scraps locally. She also reflected on the deeper meaning behind this work, adding, “Composting is tangible change, you can literally see it transform week to week.”
In the garden, Priya, a member of Malcolm X Garden, described how spaces like this one can be transformative for both people and neighborhoods. “For me, the garden is a portal where I get to imagine what’s possible,” they said. “Especially in Queens, where there are so few green spaces for people to gather, learn, and enjoy, gardens can be really transformative places for us to ground in one another and our collective knowledge.” Priya reflected on how gardens help communities reconnect with the land and with each other, explaining that growing food, creating herbal medicines, and caring for plants all serve as acts of empowerment and healing. “If we can grow food for our community, we reduce our dependence on corporate agriculture,” they added, “and when our communities are centered, it becomes a political, spiritual, and economic act of care.”
Another community composter, Natalia, spoke about the value of this work and the way it brings people together. She explained that at her own garden in Flatbush, the bins have attracted attention from kids and neighbors who are curious about the process. “Inside the garden, when the slats come off the cubes, you get the most amazing view of what’s going on with the different layers and critters in there, a real slice of compost pile life,” she said. Natalia also reflected on the human connections that form through composting. “Composting seems to buzz with life and extends to the human world,” she shared. “It’s a way of getting to know people and getting to know the neighborhood. It’s amazing to see how unique connectivity forms when people come together around something as simple as compost.”
Hearing from everyone made me think about how composting and community gardening really support each other. Whether we’re building new systems, teaching kids, or just sharing time together in the garden, every small action adds up to something bigger. For me, the work at Malcolm X Garden is a reminder that sustainability is about more than just reusing materials. It’s also about the relationships we build and the ways we help each other grow. It was a great view to see these being put in place and I am looking forward to seeing more during my time with Big Reuse.
Blog Post written by NYSERDA Fellow Tatiana Guerra