Past Program: Curbside Composting Outreach
In partnership with the Department of Sanitation, Big Reuse’s Curbside Composting Outreach Team provided education to NYC residents alongside the rollout of the city-wide curbside composting program. Mandatory service began borough-wide in Queens in August 2022 and in Brooklyn in October 2023, with Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island set to start receiving service in October 2024 (fines for not separating out food scraps from trash will begin in Spring 2025; learn more here). The team was busy with Brooklyn outreach and making plans to support the launches of the remaining three boroughs when they lost funding in December 2023 during the mayoral budget cuts and the team was dissolved.
Our team of nine full time staff and six seasonal staff was made up of passionate and committed individuals working on the ground engaging with NYC’s communities through tabling events, high rise outreach, webinars for community groups, door-to-door home canvassing, and free compost, kitchen scrap containers, and brown bin giveaways. They collaborated with community groups from BIDs to libraries to community gardens and more and could be found attending a range of events from neighborhood block parties to street festivals to provide educational resources and ensure residents understood how to participate in the curbside composting program.
Addressing the city’s wide variety of housing situations and prior composting knowledge, the team helped troubleshoot and answer questions, provided support for talking to landlords and neighbors, and explained composting benefits. Team members spoke a total of seven different languages, allowing them to connect with more residents primarily in Spanish, Chinese, and Korean speaking neighborhoods.
(September 2021 through December 2023)
Interacted with 172,000 New Yorkers
Canvassed 83,500 addresses and educated residents about how to participate in the curbside composting program
Distributed 22,800 1 Ib bags and 24,000 40 Ib bags of compost
Distributed 31,000 kitchen containers and 22,400 leaf bags
Testimonials
Before Big Reuse hosted the info session, our compost bin was nearly empty every week. After Big Reuse stopped by, we immediately saw more neighbors dropping off food scraps! Our bin is now filling up every week.
Aruni
Brooklyn resident
We are finally composting, and I’m not sure why it took us so long! It is so easy, and has reduced our weekly garbage by A LOT! We also feel good about the whole process because we know it is helping the city and the planet.
Heidi
Brooklyn resident
At last collecting food waste in our brown bins is once more for composting, not for more trash. At Riverdale House, we are glad that our weekly trash is back to being waste free! Thank you for the work to restore this valuable program!
Andrea
Bronx resident
Curbside Composting is one of the most important things to happen to NYC in years. It's a way for New Yorkers to make a real difference in the fight against climate change, and help ensure a greener, more sustainable future for the biggest city in the world.
David
Brooklyn resident