NYC Officials, Environmental Group Announce a Milestone Accomplishment with Composting

New York City officials and an environmental group say more residents are composting. The non-profit GrowNYC, the city Department of Sanitation, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Council Member Mark Levine announced Thursday that 3 million food scraps have been collected for composting. 

According to GrowNYC, participation rates and the amount of food scraps being composted has risen in the past year.

The Department of Sanitation partnered with the organization GrowNYC in 2012 with the goal of doubling composting rates to 30 percent by 2017.

Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia said the city hopes to continue expanding the program over the next few years by getting more New Yorkers involved. 

"What's going to work in a high rise building is not going to work in a single family home," said Garcia. "But we know this can be successful across New York." 

The Department of Sanitation offers recycled plastic bins for $65 that New Yorkers can purchase for composting. 

"Many people think composting will attract vermin," said Garcia. "What we're finding is its the opposite because all the food was just in a plastic bag on a street corner, and that's much more accessible for a rat to chew through than a sealed bin."

GrowNYC has 33 drop-off sites where residents can leave food waste in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island.