Compost drop-off locations reopen
in Village and other parts of NYC
BY TEQUILA MINSKY
An ecologically-minded
public is very grateful.
Funds have been
restored to NYC Department of
Sanitation (DSNY) to reactivate
all of the NYC Compost Project
mid-scale compost educational
facilities, provide support to
some small compost sites, and
reopen some local food scrap
drop-off sites throughout all fi ve
boroughs.
During the City pandemic
shutdown, some New Yorkers’
freezers stored food scraps for
months. When Union Square and
Tompkins Square Greenmarkets
recently started to accept kitchen
and organic (not meat) scraps for
compost, it made room in people’s
freezers to recycle more.
Magali Regis, East Village
resident and community garden
activist uses these sites to drop
Compost is brought to drop-off by bicycle, foot, and shopping cart.
off her kitchen scraps including
peelings, egg shells coffee
grounds, rinds, and dead fl owers.
“We believe organic food waste
PHOTO BY TEQUILA MINSKY
should not go to landfi ll. It should
instead be used as fertilizer to
enrich our soil. What once came
from the soil goes back to the soil,
such is the cycle of life.” When a
community garden has a compost
for garden refuse, limitations of
size or operation procedures often
prevent even members from
using the garden’s compost for
their kitchen scraps. Regis’ garden
just opened its compost for
members-only.
As of mid-September in NYC,
compost drop-off sites will have
been reinstated at six Greenmarkets:
Union Square M, W, F, and
Sa 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tompkins
Square (Sundays), Stuy Town
(Sunday mornings), and Inwood
(Saturday mornings), 97th St.
(Friday mornings), and Lincoln
Hospital (Friday mornings).
The Lower East Side Ecology
Center is reinstituting strategic
drop-off sites in the East and West
Village, Lower East Side and on
W. 23rd St.
Three injured in Lower
East Side bakery blaze
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
Three people were injured
after a fi re broke
out in Manhattan early
Thursday morning.
At 12:15 a.m. on Sept.
17, the FDNY responded to
reports of a fi re at 303 Grand
Street. Upon their arrival, fi refi
ghters found that a fi re had
broken out on the fi rst fl oor
of the building, which houses
Fine Bakery City.
The FDNY dispatched
around 138 fi refi ghters and
EMS personnel to the scene.
The blaze was brought under
control by 2:09 a.m.
Three fi refi ghters suffered
minor injuries as a result and
were taken to area hospitals for
treatment.
The FDNY Fire Marshal
will determine the cause of
the fi re. The investigation is
ongoing.
Sanitation boss Garcia
gets grand walkout
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
BY DEAN MOSES
The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) bid a fond farewell to their
commissioner on her last day.
On Sept. 18, the staff at the DSNY hosted a ceremonial “walkout”
at DSNY headquarters to honor Commissioner Kathryn Garcia
on her last day in the position. Garcia has served at the Department’s
leader since 2014 and has overseen a number of widespread changes
focused on climate change and zero waste goals for New York City.
Garcia announced her departure from DSNY earlier this month with
intentions to run for mayor in 2021.
During the walkout, Garcia was greeted by the DSNY Honor
Guard as well as staff from the department to bid her farewell on her
PHOTO VIA CITIZEN APP retirement.
Schneps Media Sept. 24, 2020 3