Mayor Eric Adams' budget cuts have ended New York City's 30-year-old composting program, affecting community farms, gardens, and green jobs.
Angelica Ang reports for Civil Eats.
In short:
- The NYC Compost Project, which began in 1993, provided compost for community farms, gardens, and street trees.
- The budget cuts have forced most composting organizations to cease operations, with only three remaining open at reduced capacity.
- More than 115 green jobs are threatened, and important community connections and green education efforts are at risk.
Key quote:
"[Volunteering with Nurture BK] made me for the first time experience a community I’ve been living in for 15 years. And Eric Adams has come by and destroyed all that for me."
— Justin Realmuto, Nurture BK volunteer
Why this matters:
The composting program, established to divert organic waste from landfills, has played a pivotal role in enriching urban soil, supporting local agriculture, and reducing the city’s carbon footprint. Community gardens and farms have particularly benefited from the nutrient-rich compost, which has fostered greener, more productive spaces in neighborhoods across the city.
Critics of the budget cuts argue that dismantling the composting program is a step backward in the fight against climate change and urban sustainability. They emphasize that the program's elimination undermines efforts to build a greener, more self-sufficient New York, highlighting the broader implications for community health and environmental justice.
