Timely Message From The Roosevelt Island Haki Compost Collective: Understanding Residential Options to Dispose of Organic Food Scrap Waste - Take Your Food Scraps To Haki For Composting At The Motorgate Plaza Every Saturday 9 AM To 2 PM

According to the Roosevelt Island Haki Compost Collective:

The month of April celebrates Earth Day and also heralds mandatory requirements to NYC’s residential building’s food scrap waste disposal rules. The good news is residents have lots of options however understanding the true end use of your food scraps can be unclear.

Haki Compost Collective, a local grassroots group of volunteers supporting community composting efforts in partnership with the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) and Big Reuse, put together an easy to understand comparative sheet for residents. 

We invite you to stop by any Saturday year round at Motorgate plaza near Foodtown from 9 am to 2 pm with your food scraps or questions. A volunteer will be at the green bins.

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Have a look at the poster below to better understand the difference between the City's orange and brown bins initiative and Roosevelt Island's Haki Composting Collective.

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Haki/Big Reuse composting initiative: 

• Big Reuse picks up our plant-based foods and turns them into soil as compost by a natural process.
• NO global warming methane gas is produced.

NYC composting program (orange & brown bins): 

• Kitchen scraps are treated as sewage and digested as biogas (methane gas) for energy to power the Newtown Creek Wastewater facility.
• A percentage of that methane is extra and flared into the air. The flared methane is a pollutant much worse than carbon dioxide and has a lifespan of over a decade.
• A bi-product of this process (sludge) is sent to landfill as it is not suitable for farmers due to the plastic bags within and important nutrients don't get returned to the ground.

This is NOT composting but is not as damaging as sending organic scraps to landfill which emit methane gas. Composting means turning food scraps into compost (a nutrient-rich soil amendment).

Compost is water absorbing which helps reduce flooding during storms or flooding events when added to city soils. It also is nutrient-rich which reinvigorates depleted soils and feeds trees and flowers.

If you wish to help the environment best, take your plant-based food scraps (including egg shells) to the green Haki bins by Foodtown at Motorgate Plaza year round on Saturdays from 9am and 2pm.

If you want, you can put your animal-based food scraps into the orange and brown bins for methane gas capture.

The week of April 7-13th is Food Waste Prevention Week.

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So let’s eat more of the food in our fridge, waste less by making soups with scraps and take any remaining food scraps to the green bins each Saturday at Motorgate from 9 am to 2 pm. 

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New to composting? Collect for a few days at the end of the week and drop off to us every Saturday at Motorgate Plaza from 9 AM to 2 PM. Your actions matter and whichever method you choose we wish you to know the outcome and your impact.

Here's a December 2024 interview with volunteers from the Roosevelt Island Haki Compost Collective.

You're Invited To NYC Save Our Compost Professionals Teach In Saturday February 3 At The Roosevelt Island Garden Club - Family Friendly, Bring Your Food Scraps And Friends

The Roosevelt Island Garden Club reports: 

We are hosting a fun Compost Teach-in on Roosevelt Island Saturday, February 3.

Folks can bring their food scraps out to the community garden on that day. (You can bring a friend, too, but we won't compost them :) .

Two great teachers from the NYC Save Our Compost Coalition (Gil Lopez and Greta Wong)  will be there as well as lots of participating organizations: 

• Haki Compost Collective,
• BigReuse, 
• iDig2Learn, 
• Roosevelt Island Garden Club,  
• Nurture BK Compost.

Just in...this great Op Ed written by Greta Wong was published January 30 in City Limits!

“Our best hope for a better future lies in communities coming together to care for the land we inhabit. Losing city-funded community composting programs will make that much harder.” https://t.co/1lQuD8qAIX

— City Limits (@CityLimitsNews) January 31, 2024

As previously reported, the Roosevelt Island Haki Compost Collective Saturday Food Scrap drop off site was ended last December 16 (at least temporarily, for now)

due to NYC Mayoral budget cuts.

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Today Is World Soil Day, Haki Compost Collective Asks You To Take Local Action To Keep Roosevelt Island And Other NYC Food Scrap Drop Off Sites Operating And Save It From NYC Budget Cuts Elimination

Haki Compost Collective volunteer Julia Ferguson reports:

Due to proposed NYC budget cuts, the last Haki Compost Collective Roosevelt Island Food Scrap Drop Off collection

will be  Saturday December 16, 2023.

We received the letter below from the Big Reuse Manager of Community Partnerships. The situation is serious and this is the week when we need community participation

1. Sign the petition at Grow NYC

2. Submit testimony online, on zoom, or in person for Dec. 11th Finance Hearing

3. Attend Rally and Press Conference on Wednesday Dec 6th 12-1pm City Hall Park

 4. Call or write Council Members (ie Julie Menin for our district.) 

• ask our CM's to urge DSNY Commissioner Tisch to reinstate Community Composting

• ask CM's  to discuss and vote to restore these programs in the budget line because these programs are part of the health and safety infrastructure in our city "Please do all that you can to change the city budget plan that eliminates Community Composting (Green Bin) programs. The community compost programs like the NYC Compost Project (Big Reuse, Lower East Side Ecology, Earth Matter, Snug Harbor) and GrowNYC play a vital role in our city. "

• Reasons: These 115 essential green jobs mean that NYC 

  • diverts over 8 million pounds of organic waste from landfills;
  • gives finished compost to over 335 community groups and thousands of individuals 
  • creates storm resilient soils across the city that mitigate flooding 
  • provides compost education to over 600,000 New Yorkers 
  • educates widely about prevention of rats in NYC
  • This essential service supports New York's climate goals - a keystone service in this regard.

Ms Ferguson shares shares the letter from Big Reuse:

Dear Community Compost Partners,

Due to the City’s financial crisis and elimination of funds for community compost programs, we regret to inform you that we can no longer offer food scrap hauling service. Saturday, December 16th, will be the last food scrap pick up date. On this date, we will collect all the green Toters and any extra bins you may have received. 

Please have toters with food scrap or emptied out ready for collection, if you are not receiving weekly hauling we will still be coming by for any remaining toters that may be used for compost or browns distribution. We also will be hanging signage at your site in the next week or two to help spread awareness of this closure to all your neighbors and participants. Attached is the signage that we will have laminated and hanging (if applicable).

 

We want to thank you for being a part of our community composting family and providing a valuable service for your community. On a personal note, it has been incredibly joyous and fulfilling to partner with so many incredible community groups and gardens across our city to support sustainable practices and direct climate action. 

 

To help keep the community strong, we recommend joining the NYC Community Composting Google Group. If you’re interested in learning about updates to our community composting program, please check our website and the petition page. 

From our team at Big Reuse, we thank you for this collaboration and hope our paths cross again

As previously reported:

... The Haki Compost Collective thanks you for dropping off your food scraps on Saturdays. Since November 2015, we have collectively diverted over 341,017 pounds of food scraps from landfill, or 170 tons, equivalent to 85 SUV's in weight!

Several dump truck loads of nutrient-rich compost have come back to the Island trees, flowers and gardens and been given back to neighbors for their house plants....

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Scenes From Today's Roosevelt Island Great Pumpkin Event With IDig2Learn, Big Reuse, GRIN And Community Partners - Celebrating Pumpkins As Healthy Delicious Tasting Food, Scooping For Seeds, Smashing For Compost & More

Today was the Roosevelt Island Great Pumpkin Event celebration at the Manhattan Park Lawn presented by iDig2Learn, Big Reuse, Roosevelt Island Green Neighbors (GRIN) and local community partners including the Roosevelt Island Plogging Club Haki Compost Collective and the Roosevelt Island Garden Club with edible pumpkin meals provided by Beatrice Ajaero of Nneji Restaurant.

IDig2Learn's Christina Delfico and Anneliese Zausner-Mannes of Big Reuse describe the Roosevelt Island Great Pumpkin Event and GRIN's Anthony Longo  take us on a tour.

 

iDig2Learn, Big Reuse And Community Partners Invite You To The Great Roosevelt Island Pumpkin Event Saturday November 4 At Manhattan Park Upper Lawn - Bring Your Pumpkin To Explore It's Afterlife As Delicious Edible Food Source, Scoop Seeds And Compost

Roosevelt Island resident and iDig2Learn founder Christina Delfico reports:

For 2023, iDig2Learn – along with Big Reuse (funded by New York City Council Member Julie Menin) and many local partners including Green Roosevelt Island Neighbors (GRIN) and the Roosevelt Island Garden Club – is thrilled to host an expanded annual post-Halloween pumpkin event. During this spooky season, the Great Pumpkin Event will help participants explore the pumpkin’s afterlife – offering pumpkin smooshing to turn these squashes into compost. And new this year, per community feedback, is the addition of several activities to spotlight the pumpkin’s many edible uses.

Pumpkins are treasured globally – cuisines from Africa, Asia, and the Americas use this squash as a valued and delicious food source. In the United States, the pumpkin’s popularity translates into one billion pumpkins going to landfills each year. Given this, iDig2Learn has expanded the event to offer more options for post-Halloween pumpkins. Nneji restaurant owner, Roosevelt Island resident Beatrice Ajaero, will help us celebrate the pumpkin's many uses as food by preparing egusi, fonio and savory pumpkin hand pies to take-away (while supplies last) in exchange for people’s pumpkins. Additionally, participants will be able to trade pumpkins for cookies from Wengerd’s Farm or a locally baked piece of cake.

Everyone is invited to come to the event and bring their pumpkins with them. Please first visit the “Pumpkin Determination Station'' to see if your pumpkin has a new life. Whether it is mushy and only compostable, scoopable for seeds, edible or in need of paint and sticker removal, there are more options this year. The Roosevelt Island Plogging Club will scoop seeds at the event and local Girl Scouts will capture pumpkins to make pumpkin cake. Both the seeds and cake will be distributed for free for the community to enjoy the following Saturday at the    food scrap drop-off (November 11, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in the usual compost drop-off spot behind the Chapel of the Good Shepherd).

The young and young-at-heart can also try the "leaf crunch" pile (falling into a pile of leaves) before those leaves become compost to feed island soils in the near future. Don’t have a pumpkin? No worries, you're welcome to enjoy a coffee from Foodtown and visit the Food Appreciation station!

Community feedback inspired us to boost this annual event’s activities and feature the pumpkin as a revered global food source, Diverting pumpkins from landfills is important. And equally vital is learning how to put food into bellies first, before placing food scraps into bins for compost. We are grateful to our neighbors who will be generously sharing more with us about the pumpkin’s many flavorful uses.

"I am proud to sponsor The Great Pumpkin Event on Roosevelt Island, a celebration that promotes sustainability beyond the harvest season. Redistributing edible pumpkins, which will be transformed into delectable creations, brings a second life to pumpkins and prevents them from going to landfills. Organic waste can be reused, further reducing our environmental impact,” said New York City Council Member Julie Menin.

“As a former classroom teacher, curiosity and mindfulness around sustainability makes all the difference,” offered Anneliese Zausner-Mannes, education director, Big Reuse. “Hosting community engagement events like this creates an opportunity for everyone to come together, to share and shine.”

"Nneji is thrilled to provide egusi, fonio, and savory hand pies for the Great Pumpkin Event to spotlight the versatility of the pumpkin as food," said Nneji restaurant owner, Beatrice Ajaero.

"We are focusing first on food for this free festival," stated Anthony Longo, co-founder of GRIN. He continued, "You’ll find a few fun ways to foster further pumpkin fever, smashing some, but also feeding folks first.” "Composting brings connections," emphasized Julia Ferguson from the Roosevelt Island Garden Club. "Food scraps and garden materials are natural resources that can boost soil health and reduce pollution. This year we will be further reducing waste and wastefulness, connecting to food and life by celebrating pumpkins."

“Girl Scouts host fun days that engage local groups for community service projects,” shared Aiesha Eleusizov, leader, Girl Scout Troop 3001. “This year we are collaborating with iDig2learn to capture Halloween pumpkins. With them, we will make pumpkin cakes to give back to the community on the Saturday following the event at the Haki Compost area.”

“It gives Manhattan Park great pleasure and we are honored to participate in this wonderful annual event with iDig2Learn,” said Brian Weisberg, director of property management, GRC Realty, Manhattan Park.

WHAT: Great Pumpkin Event – several activities will be offered, including the “Pumpkin Determination Station,” food trade, squashing pumpkins for compost, leaf crunch and more.

WHEN: November 4th, 2023 – 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (rain or shine*) Volunteers, please note: setup is 10:00-11:00 a.m.; wrap-up is 2:00-3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Manhattan Park, 30 River Road, New York, NY 10044 – on the street level, central park upper lawn (across from Foodtown)

If raining: Motorgate Garage elevator ground floor lobby iDig2Learn is grateful to its many partners who are supporting this event: RIOC, Big Reuse (funded by New York City Council Member Julie Menin), Manhattan Park, GRIN, Roosevelt Island Garden Club, Haki Compost Collective, Foodtown, Girl Scouts, Roosevelt Island Plogging Club, Coach Scot’s Baseball Team, Wengerd’s Farm, Andrea Jackson and numerous local student and master composter volunteers.

Sponsored Post - You're Invited To Celebrate Roosevelt Island City Of Forest Day Saturday October 14 At Lighthouse Park - Raise Awareness Of Urban Forest Importance, Enrich The Soil With Compost From Resident Food Scrap Collection, Enjoy Ecological Theme Dance Performance And More Family Friendly Activities

Roosevelt Island resident and iDig2Learn founder Christina Delfico reports: 

In an effort to raise awareness of the importance of the urban forest, and the essential role residents play in caring for the “lungs” of our city, while having fun doing so, three organizations – iDig2Learn, Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance (MSTDA) and NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler (Coler Hospital) – are collaborating to host City of Forest Day on Roosevelt Island.

This second annual event will be an enriching and inclusive celebration of nature outdoors. The day includes a series of four activities, supporting awareness of trees’ vital role in our local environment – they eat carbon dioxide and release oxygen, provide shelter for birds and butterflies and stabilize the land capturing rain during storm events, which reduces flooding. 

Roosevelt Island’s City of Forest Day details include:

WHAT: City of Forest Day

WHEN: Saturday, October 14 – 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.:

11:00 a.m. – join Gil Lopez of Big Reuse to learn about tree stewardship and participate in a community compost mulching activity to blanket existing trees and enrich the soil (funded by City Council Member Julie Menin) utilizing a truckload full of compost derived from the weekly resident food scrap collection. As such, feeding the trees will be a direct result of the Haki Compost Collective’s efforts – both those who volunteer supporting Big Reuse’s weekly collection and the hundreds of residents who drop off their food scraps.

12:30 p.m. – decorate hats using reclaimed paints with RIVAA Gallery featured artist George Krassas and residents from Coler Hospital (note, all materials will be provided)

2:00 p.m. – enjoy a 45-minute performance by Jody Sperling and Time Lapse Dance ensemble whose work “aims to investigate the relationship of the moving body to the ecologies we inhabit through performance, media, education and activism.” The company will perform two ecologically-themed works exploring the connections between humans and their habitat: "Plastic Harvest," exploring plastic proliferation; and, "Arbor," dwelling on the kinship between trees and humans.

3:00 p.m. – connect with the local teen-led Plogging Club to learn more about this invigorating and healthy way to keep our community clean

WHERE: Roosevelt Island Lighthouse Park, 910 Main St, New York, NY 10044 (the northernmost tip of the island). Please note that in case of pouring rain, the dance performance and art activity will take place indoors at the Good Shepherd Church Community Center on Roosevelt Island, 543 Main Street, New York, New York, 10044 (the dance performance will be upstairs and the art activity downstairs). For up to the minute updates on these events, please follow iDig2Learn on Instagram.

This celebration on Roosevelt Island is just one of over 70 taking place throughout New York City on October 14 to highlight the vital need to better protect, maintain, and expand the New York City urban forest to benefit all New Yorkers. 

iDig2Learn is a part of Forest for All NYC (FFANYC), a diverse coalition of over 115 organizations across business, nonprofit, conservation, and environmental justice sectors that is working to expand the tree canopy of the urban forest in New York City to 30% by 2035. FFANYC in partnership with the Parks and Open Space Partners – NYC Coalition and NYC Parks is presenting this citywide.

As we celebrate City of Forest Day, iDig2Learn is thrilled to join with Coler Hospital and Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance to host this day on Roosevelt Island. Island residents and visitors alike treasure the island’s greenspace. No matter how you arrive – by ferry, subway, tram, bike, bus or foot – you cannot miss the abundance of trees on the island, which have been thoughtfully managed by the RIOC Grounds Team and partners Trees New York. Since 2022, with the help of these outstanding local partners, we have added 100 new baby trees, growing the urban forest by focusing on species that are known to support New York City’s habitat.

I am deeply thankful to our partners that support iDig2Learn’s ongoing efforts and programs, including Green Roosevelt Island Neighbors (GRIN), Girl Scouts, Roosevelt Island Garden Club and Coach Scot's baseball players. I invite everyone – our existing supporters and those new to our work – to join us for this joyful City of Forest Day to explore, celebrate and get to know our trees and what they do for us so that we can do for them. Each of the day’s activities has been designed to inspire us to do more to help our trees thrive.