Community Composting by Big Reuse
*Thanks to Council Members Community Composting funding has been restored through June 30!*
For over a decade, Big Reuse has been a driving force for composting efforts across NYC with our community-based approach to food waste. As part of the city's community-scaled composting network, we collaborate with botanical gardens and composting nonprofits to provide New Yorkers with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to produce and use compost. Each partnering organization contributes its expertise to the network.
Decentralized Composting
Big Reuse is installing rat proof compost systems at community gardens and other community partner sites to help them improve and scale up their compost making process. We support each site with technical assistance, browns deliveries, volunteers, and education workshops. We are currently installing dozens of community compost cubes, 4'X4' aluminum systems developed and refined by composters at the 45th Street Green Space in Sunnyside, Queens.
The long term goal is to create a resilient network of closed-loop micro-processing operations across the city. See the installations grow on our New Compost Installations Map. Interested in learning more? Write to compost@bigreuse.org.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer with us to process food scraps and yard waste, bag finished compost, and help maintain our composting sites. See upcoming opportunities here, and fill out our survey if you're interested in learning more about opportunities.
Collect Food Scraps
Big Reuse currently hauls to partner composting sites to make sure these food scraps are composted. All the compost produced goes back to NYC see parks, community gardens, schools, and more.
Big Reuse reopened more than 20 food scrap drop off sites across Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan and 3 greenmarket food scrap drop offs! You can now find us on weekends at Fort Greene Park Greenmarket, Forest Hills Greenmarket, McCarren Park Greenmarket. Check out the Big Reuse FSDO Map to see all the locations we're collecting from and stay updated on new sites to come.
For information on the City’s free food scraps and yard waste curbside collection service, go to our Curbside Outreach Program.
Education
We provide a range of workshops for all ages: compost & crafts for kids, compost & environmental justice for teens, making & using composting for adults, and more! Learn about our offerings and request a workshop here. We also encourage you to check out our MC workshops through the Master Composter Certificate program with the NYC Community Compost Network.
New Compost System Installations Map
Rusty wheelbarrow farm
7202 Woodside Ave, Woodside, NY 11377
Union Street Garden and Community Development
1027 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11225
Prospect Farm
1194 Prospect Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11218
Q Gardens Community Farm
58 E 18th St, Brooklyn, NY 11226
Randall’s Island Urban Farm
Wards Meadow Loop, New York, NY 10035
Big Reuse's FSDO Locations
Find your local FSDO on our map!
This DSNY map lists other Orange Smart Bins as well as other public food scrap drop offs still in operation. If you’d like to learn more about getting your building or neighborhood to participate, fill out this form.
Spring Creek Learning Garden at Opportunity Hub
1430 Freeport Loop, Brooklyn, NY 11239
Accessible by Louisiana Ave. Next to the Learning Garden at the Opportunity Hub
Monday-Fridays 10am-4pm
North Brooklyn Compost Project
McGolrick Park
Sundays 10am-1pm
NurtureBK Compost
Ocean Ave. and Parkside Ave. (SE corner of Prospect Park)
Sundays 9-11am
1100 Bergen Street Community Garden
1107 Bergen St. Brooklyn, NY 11216
Sundays 10am-4pm
Bronx River Alliance
1490 Sheridan Blvd, Bronx, NY 10459
Fridays 9am-12pm
Kingsbridge Height Community Center
3101 Kingsbridge Terrace, Bronx NY 10463
Tuesdays & Thursdays 10am-3pm; Wednesdays & Fridays 10am-4pm; Saturdays TBD
Keeper's House at Williamsbridge Reservoir
3400 Reservoir Oval W, Bronx, NY 10467
24/7
Moffat Street Community Garden
9 Moffat St. Brooklyn, NY 11207
Saturdays 10:30am-12pm
Prospect Farm
1194 Prospect Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11218
Wednesdays 5-6pm; Saturdays 11am-12pm
4th Avenue Presbyterian Church
6753 4th Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11220
24/7
Q Gardens
58 E 18th St. Brooklyn, NY 11226
Saturdays 10:30am-12:30pm, Sundays 2:00pm-4:00pm
Christ Church Community Compost
326 Clinton St. Brooklyn, NY 11231
8am-6pm all week (please close gate behind you!)
Spuyten Duyvil Preschool
3041 Kingsbridge Ave, Bronx, NY 10463
Monday-Friday 7:30am-6:00pm
Karol's Community Farm
Across from, 2238 Lacombe Ave, Bronx, NY 10473
24/7
King Manor Museum
150-03 Jamaica Ave. Queens, NY 11432
Tuesdays-Saturdays 11am-4pm
The Connected Chef
49-09 5th St. Queens, NY 11101
Fridays 8am-3pm; Saturdays 9am-3pm
Riverdale Neighborhood House
5521 Mosholu Ave, Bronx, NY 10471
Everyday 9am-6pm
JH SCRAPS Community Composting
35-69 69th St, Jackson Heights, NY 11372
Saturdays 11am - 1pm
Imani Garden
87-91 Schenectady Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213
Wednesdays 8:30-10:00am, Saturdays 11:00am- 1:00pm
Roosevelt Island Farmers Market
543 Main St. New York, NY 10044
Saturdays 9am-2pm
East New York Farms - UCC Youth Farm
620 Schenck Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11207
24/7
EL Garden
120 Jefferson St. Brooklyn, NY 11206
GreenMarket Food Scrap Drop-Offs
McCarren Park Greenmarket
Union Ave &, N 12th St, Brooklyn, NY 11206
Saturdays 8am-2pm
Fort Greene Park GreenMarket
Washington Park &, DeKalb Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Saturdays 8am-1:30pm
Forest Hills Greenmarket
Queens Blvd, 70th Ave, Forest Hills, NY 11375
Sundays 8am-2pm
History
We’ve been at the forefront of a national composting movement, operating two large-scale community composting sites beginning in 2017. In 2020, we received the US Composting Council’s Composter of the Year award and were a featured recipient of USDA’s Composting and Food Waste Reduction grant.
Our QUEENSBRIDGE SITE, under the 59th Street Bridge in Queens, was a state-of-the-art facility featuring an Aerated Static Pile system and large Gore Tex covers; the Parks department pushed out Big Reuse on June 30, 2024 to make a parking lot, refusing to renew their lease despite overwhelming public support for the site remaining. The GOWANUS SALT LOT SITE in Brooklyn utilized a bay system that featured electric blowers that forced air in the compost piles. It was the largest community-based compost facility in Brooklyn. Through our site tours of these compost sites, we educated the community. Stay tuned for more updates on next steps for our composting sites!
