Composting in NYC, 2001
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New York City Department of Sanitation Kevin P. Farrell Commissioner CompostingComposting inin NewNew YorkYork CityCity AA CompleteComplete ProgramProgram HistoryHistory Prepared by Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling Robert Lange, Director August 2001 Table of Contents List of Tables...................................................................................................................................... 3 Abbreviations and Definitions .......................................................................................................... 3 Director’s Note .................................................................................................................................. 5 What Is Composting? ........................................................................................................................ 8 Two Models for Centralized Composting: Source Separated and Mixed Material........................ 9 Centralized Composting: Source-Separated Leaf and Yard Waste .................................... 9 Facility Siting.......................................................................................................................... 11 Facility Operations ................................................................................................................ 12 Distribution of Finished Compost ........................................................................................ 13 Future Directions for Leaf and Yard-Waste Composting .................................................... 13 Spring Yard-Waste Collection.................................................................................. 14 Landscaper Material ................................................................................................ 14 De-Bagging and Plastic: The Case for Paper ........................................................ 15 Centralized Composting: Source-Separated Food Waste.................................................... 16 Intensive Zone Pilot .............................................................................................................. 16 Park Slope ................................................................................................................ 17 Starrett City .............................................................................................................. 19 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 20 Staten Island Institutional Pilot ............................................................................................ 21 Average Tonnage Collected .................................................................................... 22 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 22 Future Directions for Centralized Food-Waste Composting .............................................. 23 Facility Siting and Design........................................................................................ 23 Incentives and Contamination ................................................................................ 24 Capture Rate ............................................................................................................ 24 Collection Efficiency................................................................................................ 24 The Advantages of Mixed-Material Composting.................................................... 25 Centralized Composting: Mixed-Material Pilot .................................................................... 25 The Non-Source-Separated-Composting Process ................................................................ 26 Preliminary Pilot Results........................................................................................................ 28 Laboratory Results ................................................................................................................ 33 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 34 Decentralized (On-Site) Composting................................................................................................ 35 Composting On-Site at City Institutions .............................................................................. 35 Riker’s Island.......................................................................................................................... 35 The Waste Stream .................................................................................................... 36 Food Waste Collection & Facility Operations........................................................ 36 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 39 1 Other In-Vessel Projects at City Institutions ........................................................................ 40 Queens Hospital ...................................................................................................... 40 City College and St. Barnabas Hospital ................................................................ 41 Open Road of New York, Inc................................................................................. 41 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 42 The Compost Project Outreach and Education Program .................................................. 43 Master Composter Course .................................................................................................... 44 Assistance to New York City Institutions and NYCHA ...................................................... 46 “Leave it on the Lawn” Campaign and Landscaper Training ............................................ 46 Teacher Training .................................................................................................................. 48 Compost Giveback Events: Free Compost Distribution and Subsidized Compost Bins Sales .............................................................................. 49 Outreach Materials ................................................................................................................ 52 New York City composting guide ............................................................................ 55 Leave it on the lawn brochure ................................................................................ 56 Indoor composting with a worm bin brochure...................................................... 56 General Outreach .................................................................................................................. 58 Backyard-Composting Pilot .................................................................................................. 58 Promoting the Program ........................................................................................................ 58 Interpreting Participation: Market Research ........................................................................ 59 Waste-Composition Analysis ................................................................................................ 61 Estimation of Program Effects .............................................................................................. 62 Costs and Benefits ................................................................................................................ 62 In-Sink, Food-Waste Disposals ............................................................................................ 62 Background............................................................................................................................ 63 Movement to Lift Disposal Ban ............................................................................................ 63 Food-Waste Disposal Pilot Project........................................................................................ 63 The Impact on New York City’s Waste Stream .................................................................. 64 Future Directions .............................................................................................................................. 65 Residential Composting ........................................................................................................ 65 Institutional Composting ...................................................................................................... 65 Municipal Composting.......................................................................................................... 66 Appendices ........................................................................................................................................ 69 Appendix I: Waste Characterization for Composting Pilot Study.............................................. 69 Appendix II: Memorandum of Understanding between Departments of Parks & Recreation and Sanitation.................................................................................... 90 Appendix III: Intensive Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling Program: Interim Report, March 1992 .................................................................................... 92 2 List of Tables Table 1: Summary of Fall Leaf Collection Program Implementation .......................................... 10 Table