From the Compost—Make Dirt, Not Waste!

The Old Stone House

Located on the borders of the thriving Brooklyn neighborhoods of Park Slope and Gowanus, The Old Stone House, a Historic House Trust of New York City site, holds our Composting Bin.   The garden spaces at the Old Stone House and the neighboring middle school, MS 51 (Williams School) offer a natural setting of native and useful plants. 

It is here that Chef Edward drives 4 times a week to drop off Pizza by Certe’s compost  and mixes it with just the right amount of sawdust as instructed by Claudia, who is in charge of the Old Stone House Gardens, to ensure nothing goes in that is not appropriate.  Our bin is closely monitored and that means:

  

YES to:

  Coffee

  All Raw Vegetables

  Basil

  Onions

  Garlic

  NO to:

  Eggshells

  Meat

  Fish

  Bread

  What Is Composting?
Composting is the decomposition of plant remains and other once-living materials to make an earthy, dark, crumbly substance that is excellent for adding to houseplants or enriching garden soil. It is the way to recycle your yard and kitchen wastes, and is a critical step in reducing the volume of garbage needlessly sent to landfills for disposal

  Why Compost?
New York City, on the whole, does not compost.
 Food comprises about 17% of NYC’s waste stream. When this material is sent to a landfill it contributes to NYC’s disposal costs and can create greenhouse gas emissions. When composted, food scraps and other organic waste become a useful product that adds nutrients and improves the quality of soil for street trees, gardens and more.

  A typical restaurant generates 100,000 pounds of garbage per location per year, the Green Restaurant Association estimates. However, 70% of wasted food is estimated to be organic and compostable.  This means that all of the nutrients taken out of the soil will never again return to it.

  How can I learn to compost at home?
Visit www.nyc.gov/wasteless/compost to find workshops and guides for setting up a composting bin in your apartment or managing an outdoor compost bin for your home or garden.