On a bright January Saturday that felt more like March , dozens of South Bronx residents came to drop off their Christmas trees at The Friends of Brook Park Community Garden’s annual “Mulchfest.”
The garden’s longtime steward Danny Chevroni, said that the East 141st street garden has hosted the event for decades, pointing out “We turn it into mulch for the garden.”
Chevroni bobbed his head to the noise of a wood chipper the parks department had brought for the event on the curb outside the garden. As part of GrowNYC’s Compost Program, Christmas trees are mulched instead of being landfilled, by being brought to community gardens like Brook Park.
Mott Haven resident Shierlyn Ochoterana pulled up in front of the garden in her car with a Christmas tree in the trunk and her daughter in the back seat.
“I hate to throw things away,” she said. “I’m so happy the Christmas trees can be used for something else.”
The garden has six treadmill-sized compost pits that play a role transforming discarded natural material, from Christmas trees to banana peels, into valuable compost that enriches the soil.
Community composting such as the type offered at community gardens like Brook Park, is one of two composting options New York City residents have. Last October, the sanitation department launched a curbside composting initiative, requiring all property owners citywide to separate food scraps and yard waste from other trash. They provide free composting bins to landlords and homeowners who request them.
Although composting is mandatory for landlords under the city program, the sanitation department is not yet levying fines against non-compliers. They will start issuing fines ranging from $25 – $300 for buildings that don’t put their compost bins out on pickup days in the spring, depending on the violation and the number of apartments in the building.
Food waste management impacts the South Bronx
Thrown-away food and yard waste make up about a third of the city’s garbage. When foods end up in landfills, it releases roughly ten times the methane compared to composting, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
Methane is about 28 times as potent a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that landfilled food waste nationwide causes emissions equivalent to more than 50 million cars.
The South Bronx is disproportionately affected by air pollution problems created by conventional food waste elimination.The waste management facility located on the Port Morris waterfront processes the city’s garbage from the entire borough. Garbage trucks come from across the borough to the facility, causing congestion and fouling the air.
Food scraps programs in the Bronx, whether mulching or the new curbside program, are intended to help cut back on waste bound for Port Morris, reducing the number of trucks that drive in and out.
Residents who live near the facility say the garbage is so constant they can smell it.
“Especially when it’s hot out, it smells like trash near the building,” said Wilson Vazquez, who lives on Bruckner Boulevard. “Really, around the whole area. Right when you walk outside. I also think it’s worse if the wind is blowing our way.”
What happens to food scraps?
There are two facilities that process food scraps in the city, one in Brooklyn and the other in Staten Island.
The Brooklyn plant uses a method called anaerobic digestion, heating the food and yard waste to produce biogas, which is then converted into energy to fuel homes, eliminating the need for fracked gas. This keeps fossil fuels in the ground.
The Staten Island facility’s process mimics natural composting, using a method known as an aerated static pile, which pumps air into the piles of food scraps to speed up the breakdown of food and yard waste into soil.
But according to Pam Alvarez, manager of outreach & Education for Bronx Green-Up at New York Botanical Garden, there is a downside. Although 60% of the methane is captured and converted into energy to power homes, the remaining 40% is “flared or burned, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere—a process no better than landfilling in terms of emissions.”
That anaerobic digestion process also leads to a byproduct called digestate. “While digestate can be used as fertilizer, concerns remain about nutrient pollution, pathogen contamination, and transportation challenges,” said Alvarez.
Anaerobic Digestion Does Not Rebuild Soil
Even under the best management practices, the compost created at the Brooklyn facility via anaerobic digestion cannot be used to rebuild soil, unlike community composting.
Community composting such as that done at Brook Park is also better for the environment than the compost created at the Staten Island facility, Alvarez added.
“The compost made by these community compost sites is used to revitalize our cities’ street trees and parks. It’s given back to the community to grow their own food and other plants,” she said. “This concept isn’t just for those who care about the environment. If you’ve noticed the rats running through your neighborhood, the flooding, extreme heat waves, long periods of drought, or a lack of green space around you, this relates to you too.”
Even so, “Any program to divert organic waste from landfills is a step in the right direction. We need all the infrastructure we can manage.”
Curbside composting also adds a layer of convenience. “Both have their place in a circular and sustainable economy. Digestion requires far less space, which as you know is at an extreme premium in New York City,” said DSNY’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Affairs, Joshua Goodman.
Residents say the city must do more to support composting
One challenge the curbside composting program faces is that the sanitation department is not currently offering residents containers for transferring food scraps to curbside bins. Without those containers, residents will have to use their own.
To raise awareness about the initiative, however, the department is providing free composting decals to indicate what can and can’t be composted, and is hosting regular information sessions about the program.
Bronx Community Board 1’s Committee on Environmental Justice and Sanitation Chair Cesar Yoc said the city should do more to get the word out.
“They mean a good thing, but they don’t have a plan or strategy,” said Yoc. “It feels like it’s setup for failure. They want us (community boards) to deal with much of the organizing, educating, and dealing with challenges that come up.”
Yoc stressed that he wants the program to be a success.
“I want it to happen,” he said. “But it’s the education piece. How can we sit down and talk about the reality and come up with a more detailed plan and solution?” The city should ensure residents are not put off by the details, such as how to find the right bin, how often to take compost out and how not to attract flies.
Community composting and the new city program can happily coexist, said Alavarez.
“We need all city agencies involved in making this program successful,” she said. “Our main goal is to get the public interested in learning more about environmental stewardship.”
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