NYC Compost Project Hosted by Big Reuse
*Community Composting funding has been restored! Volunteer with Us!*
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.
Collect Food Scraps
Big Reuse reopened 17 food scrap drop off sites across Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan! We'll continue to provide updates as available. Check out this Big Reuse FSDO Map to find out which locations we're collecting from. Big Reuse collects food scraps and currently hauls to partner composting sites to make sure the organic waste is composted. All the compost we produce goes back to NYC parks, community gardens, schools, and more.
Curbside Collection
Curbside Collection: Though curbside organic waste collection should be available in every NYC residential building, public Food Scrap Drop Offs are still available. This DSNY map lists Orange Smart Bins which are collected and taken to the sewage bio-digester in Greenpoint. Other community drop offs on the DSNY map may accept materials to compost but inquire further in case details on the map may not be updated.
Big Reuse's FSDO Locations
Spring Creek Learning Garden at Opportunity Hub
1430 Freeport Loop, Brooklyn, NY 11239
Accessible by Louisiana Ave.
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
1107 Bergen St. Brooklyn, NY 11216
Sundays 10am-4pm
Bronx River Alliance
1490 Sheridan Blvd, Bronx, NY 10459
Fridays 9:00am-12:00pm
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
Christ Church Community Compost
326 Clinton St. Brooklyn, NY 11231
8am-6pm all week (please close gate behind you!)
Roosevelt Island Farmers Market
543 Main St. New York, NY 10044
Saturdays 9am-2pm
Spuyten Duyvil Preschool
3041 Kingsbridge Ave, Bronx, NY 10463
Monday-Friday 7:30am-6:00pm
Moffat Street Community Garden
9 Moffat St. Brooklyn, NY 11207
Saturdays 10:30am-12pm
East New York Farms - UCC Youth Farm
620 Schenck Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11207
24/7
EL Garden
120 Jefferson St. Brooklyn, NY 11206
During open garden hours
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
Tuesdays 10:00am-6:00pm
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.
Education
We provide composting education by engaging New Yorkers at community events. Email us at compost@bigreuse.org for more details. More educational resources and educational opportunities to come!
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!
