Earth Matter NY, Inc.

why compost in new york city?

Concrete jungles compost too!   We can use our food waste and leaf debris to create compost heaps in gardens (and/or worm bins in apartments) to build better soil.  When we add finished compost to our community gardens, backyards, potted plants, window boxes, and street trees, we improve both the beauty of our green spaces and the quality of food that we can produce locally.  Revitalizing lead-ridden lots for community gardens can be made possible largely through the use of compost and proper soil management practices (via organized, passionate people, of course).  And through these gardens, we nourish our bellies with veggies, our communities with respect, and our planet with honor.

Healthy soil = strong communities.

The sad reality is that the average New York City household throws away two pounds of organic waste each day. This adds up to over a million tons of organic waste per year, most of which is transported via trucks to out-of-state landfills. When we bury organic waste, we not only discard a valuable resource, we also contribute to the number one source of human-caused methane in the atmosphere.

While composting is real and serious, it is really a lot of fun. Many negative thoughts about composting either aren’t true or need not be accurate. The proper management of compost piles and worm bins does not lead to pests or foul odors. In fact, composting is the opposite of rotting (that smelly oxygen depleted process that takes place in dumps) and compost being properly made has a sweet earthy smell. Come check it out at one of our demos or at your local community garden -which you can find on our resources page – and just, simply…

Start Composting Today!