Video

Scraps to soil

New Yorkers carry compost to Greenmarkets instead of tossing it in the trash

June 26, 2012
A woman talks about composting with the Western Queens Compost Initiative. [Photo Credit: Virat Markandeya]

Recycling paper and plastics in New York City is getting easier. Composting kitchen scraps is not. Today, only people who bring their compost to local gardens or Greenmarkets contribute to compost heaps: piles that reduce greenhouse pollution, save landfill space and lead to the production of new dirt.

Although the city and its new recycling czar continue to run pilot programs assessing the feasibility of a curbside compost pick-up service, none yet exists. Scienceline reports the problems: why it’s hard to create a collection service for organic materials and what the city loses by not having one.

About the Author

Discussion

1 Comment

Mavrick says:

Such an impsirseve answer! You’ve beaten us all with that!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe

The Scienceline Newsletter

Sign up for regular updates.