STATEN ISLAND N.Y. — The composting crew was back at the St. George Greenmarket last Saturday for the first time since the pandemic started. And who would think spirits could be so high over seeing Staten Islanders dump their trash?
Well, it’s not just any rubbish — it’s the organic stuff of the borough, according to Susannah Abbate, Director of Education and Engagement at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens, Livingston. The Snug campus now hosts a compost program through the Department of Sanitation’s Bureau of Recycling and Sustainability and the City Council’s allotted funding.
Snug will host a Garden Get-Together on Feb 4 from noon to 1 p.m. — https://snug-harbor.org/event/garden-get-together-2/. Attendees must RSVP although the event is free.
Abbate enthused at the drop-off site last weekend, “We can continue turning food waste into healthy soil!” She was delighted with the number of compost enthusiasts who read about the program’s reboot in the Advance.
Abbate, Farmer Ezra and Makela Elvy, Snug Compost Outreach Coordinator, explained to Greenmarket visitors that “organic” means material from living matter. Yet not everything decomposes by the same means or the same rate. Take animal bones and wilted greens: different microorganisms are Mother Nature-designed do the deed. But the compost experts can steer a scrapper right.
“Generally not acceptable at collection points in NYC: meat, bones, fish, dairy, fats/oils, and items designated as “Certified Compostable Products.” For more information about each food scrap drop-off site and what they accept, see the online map at nyc.gov/dropfoodscraps.
It is good form to remove all sticker, rubber bands and staples from waste. Collectors also appreciate whole fruits like melons or pineapples to be chopped up into palm-sized pieces.
A bag of food scraps dropped off at the GrowNYC Greenmarket at the Staten Island Mall. (Staten Island Advance/Rebeka Humbrecht)
Here’s a current list of what’s acceptable:
Fruit and vegetable scraps
Non-greasy foods, such as rice, pasta, bread, cereal, or grains
Coffee grounds and filters
Tea bags
Egg and nut shells
Pits
Dried or cut flowers
House plants and potting soil, although diseased or infested plants are not welcome
Bones are not welcome in NYC compost programs. (Advance File Photo)AP
In the “unacceptable” compost department:
Meat, chicken or fish
Coconuts
Bones or shells
Fats or oils
Dairy
Animal Waste
Kitty litter or bedding
Coal or charcoal
Disease and/or insect-infested houseplants and soil
Certified compostable products like paper products, plastics, cups and utensils
For more information, email Elvy at compost@snug-harbor.org.
Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.