Restler and Anderson discuss community composting funding and drop-off vs smart bins
Restler and Anderson discuss the value of community compost drop-offs with dedicated composters. Anderson says community composting baseline funds were eliminated in 2023 and that drop-offs serve a different purpose than smart bins; Restler says he will continue pushing for tailored compost receptacles.
If I can continue going, because I know his clock has run out.
Okay, no one's saying no.
On the drop-off side, I think the kinds of drop-offs that you're talking about are very different than the organic waste receptacles that the bill calls for.
Those are drop-offs where you have a dedicated community composter standing next to the bin, helping people
feel good about what they're doing and helping people understand that it's going to be turned into compost at a local community garden or at a community composting facility and go back to
their local parks and gardens and whatever.
And I think that's all great stuff.
And I agree with you.
When the community composting baseline funds were eliminated from the budget in November 2023, that was a massive, massive.
Change to the way that we approach composting in New York City.
And I have said before, I would love to have those baseline funds back in the budget so that we don't have to have this ongoing sort of tit for tat on whether composting is getting funded every year.
I don't think that the people who are showing up at the green markets looking to have that interaction with the community composter and have that sort of
you know, local sort of circular economy for their compost would necessarily
the same way about using an organic waste receptacle like a smart bin that is collected by sanitation, goes to one of our industrial scale processing facilities, either a compost facility or anaerobic digestion.
So I don't think it's all the same.
I think you've made all very good points.
And I think that
I still feel that in super high-trafficked areas, in big parks like McCarran Park or Borough Hall, having a compost receptacle, having one of these compost smart bins still has value.
So I'd love to continue the conversation if there's a much more tailored approach that you think could make sense.
It doesn't sound like you think it does, but I will push you anyway.
And I will say lastly, I also take credit for converting my wife into a compost enthusiast as well.
I'm sure our wives will be thrilled that we're discussing them here.
I was just going to say blessings to both of your wives.
On behalf of the city of New York, thank you.