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Nonprofit partners and students urge Council to sustain community composting and education funding
Summary
Multiple nonprofit speakers, school staff and students told the Council that community composting and school compost education were effective at reducing food waste and asked for continued city council and DSNY support; DSNY said curbside composting baseline funding is $33.4 million.
Community composting organizers, educators and students pressed the City Council during the public testimony portion of the sanitation budget hearing to continue stable funding for community‑based composting and environmental education.
Speakers from Cafeteria Culture, Big Reuse, the House of Good Deeds and the Lower East Side Ecology Center described programs that collect food scraps, run composting sites and provide education to schools and neighborhoods. Multiple presenters credited Council discretionary funding for sustaining community programs after mayoral cuts, and they asked for multi‑year support to scale diversion and food rescue.
Key points from testimony and DSNY:
- DSNY baseline funding for curbside composting was reported as $33,400,000.
- Community groups described measurable impacts: pilot programs cited reduced cafeteria food waste (examples included reductions of 45–50% in pilot schools and many thousands of pounds of rescued or processed food at partner sites).
- Advocates urged the Council to fund nonprofit partners and continue support for programs that are described as critical outreach and operational complements to curbside collection.
Why it matters: Community composting providers say their neighborhood-level work accelerates participation in curbside programs, delivers finished compost for parks and gardens, and supports workforce and volunteer pipelines for diversion work. Students and educators said school-based programs increase household compliance.
What’s next: DSNY and council members acknowledged the role of community partners and agreed to continue reviewing funding needs as the FY27 budget process proceeds.
