More than 200 food scrap drop-off sites now open again in NYC

Marcus Solis Image
Friday, December 17, 2021
More than 200 food scrap drop-off sites now open again in NYC
Marcus Solis has more on the 200 food scrap drop-off sites that are now open again in NYC.

THE BRONX (WABC) -- The New York City Department of Sanitation is celebrating the reopening of its community-based food scrap drop-off sites.

There are now more than 200 locations throughout the five boroughs where residents can take organic waste from fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds, bread, pasta, and grains. The scraps are chopped up, harvested over several months, and then turned into fertilizer or compost.

The locations were closed during the height of the pandemic, but since July, 1.8 million pounds of food waste have been collected.

"That's going to put out less and less material at the curb for us to pick up, less material in the landfill, better for everyone," says Sanitation Commissioner Edward Grayson.

Bronx resident Jasmine Tang drops off food scraps each week at a garden run by Grow NYC on the Grand Concourse. The material collected will eventually become compost used to feed the soil.

"It's really nice to think about it and help the planet in a small way," said Tang.

It is a case where less is really more.

ALSO READ | NYC COVID-19 positivity rate nearly doubles over 3 days

N.J. Burkett has more on how NYC officials are responding to the spike in COVID-19 cases.

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