ENYF Compost Program
Composting in East New York. For the East New York Community.
Each day, New York City produces over 44 million pounds of trash, spending over $400 million a year to export it out of state. 33% of trash in the landfills could actually be composted. Composting is nature's way of recycling organic material through decomposition. It rebuilds soil, promotes natural plant growth, and produces more flavorful, pest and disease resistant, and nutrient-dense foods!
The East New York Farms Compost Program works with the community to divert food scraps from landfills and build resilient soil in East New York.
Call to Action!
Calling for support for a community-driven composting project!
The Rockaway Avenue compost site in Canarsie is at a critical moment. East New York Farms and the Lower East Side Ecology Center are working on securing funding to build out a community composting site that will provide local compost to gardens, farms, and green spaces centered in and around Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville.
This project is ready to move forwardโbut it needs your support to present to City Council in the upcoming budget cycle! Sign on today as an organization local to Canarsie, ENY, or Brownsville (community group, garden, school, block association, etc.) to show your support in bringing local compost, jobs, and infrastructure to the East!
Introducing... The NYC Community Compost Network!
ENYF! is excited to announce the NYC Community Compost Network, previously known as the NYC Compost Project! The NYCCCN is a network of organizations that compost, advocate, and educate locally across the 5 boroughs.
Check out the new NYCCCN website!
Thank You! For another fantastic season <3
As we enter our Winter season, East New York Farms is taking a break from events
and programming to rest and plan for 2025!
See you in the spring 
See below for our 2024 accomplishments and milestones 
Our Food Scrap Drop-Off at the ENY Youth Farm is open 24/7 365
Want Soil and Compost in East New York?
Our compost givebacks and soil distributions are for household gardeners / sites in East New York
that cannot receive deliveries.
See our Resources section at the bottom of the page for more opportunities to get compost in NYC! โฅ
Stay tuned as we plan for our materials distributions for the 2025 season.
ย โฅ Year-Round: GreenThumb community gardens can request
soil deliveries from the Office of Environmental Remediation and soil, compost, mulch, and woodchips
from GreenThumb โฅ
Food Scrap Collection
About
East New York Farms! Compost Project has been operating for over 15 years! We collect food scraps during the growing season to process into nutrient-rich compost for farms and gardens in East New York to grow organic produce.
On the ENY Youth Farm, we use a 5-bin compost systems and a windrow system to process food scraps.
We keep our operations local and are continually working to divert biodegradable waste and keep composting in the community.
Food Scrap Drop-Off (all-year)
ENYF! hosts a public food scrap collection at our ENY Youth Farm. We host seasonally at our Pink Houses Community Farm and farmers' markets
ENYF! Hauling Services (April-September)
Hauling has begun for businesses and community-based organizations for Spring 2024.
**Our household pickup program has closed as city-wide brown bin composting expands.**
You can find a map of year-round drop off locations below and here.ย
Look for a green toter at our ENY Youth Farm location
Year Round!
(620 Schenck Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11207)
Keep an eye out for other FSDO locations in East New York using this map!
View the map to see where we are currently accepting food scraps.
Community Resources
DSNY's Curbside Composting program is currently active for participating boroughs and neighborhoods. Click here for more information and info sessions.
Attention all gardeners! Did you know that you can compost your yard waste with DSNY's curbside composting program?
Requirements:
1) Bins must be 55 gallons or less with a secure lid
2) Stick a DSNY orange decal on the lid (order one here for free or pick one up at ENYF!)
3) Got a lot? Place extra yard waste next to your bin/s in paper or clear plastic bags
4) Bundle twigs and branches and place next to your bin/s.
**Yard Waste and all compostable materials go out on your recycling day. Find your collection schedule and learn more here.
Save Community Composting in NYC!
UPDATE!! Community Composting funding has been restored by City Council!
Thank you to all the Councilmembers that fought for us!
Unfortunately Big Reuse has lost their Queensbridge composting site, as the Parks dept. chose to not renew their lease and turn the site into a parking lot.
Next steps are actively being considered.
See below for more info:
๐ฅโ ๐ENYF in the news!
**Check out Civil Eats' article featuring our efforts in Community Composting and Food Justice in East New York!**
**Click here for a Bloomberg article on an inside look at the past, present, and future of composting in NYC**
Why Compost?
Tips on how to be more environmentally friendly when you bring food scraps:
- Freeze your food scraps. This can help eliminate odor and leakage.
- Store your food scraps in a reusable container. It's sturdy and you can reuse over and over again. (Some examples include: take out containers, coffee cans, mason jars, bucket with lid, etc.)
- Reduce odor from food scraps. Sprinkle baking soda or coffee grounds or a vinger spritz.
What to Compost with ENYF?
What we CANย accept:
Fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, eggshells, nut shells, rice, bread, grains, leaves, houseplants, soil, dried flowers, soiled paper (e.g. napkins)
What we CANโT accept:
Meat, fish, dairy products, fats, grease, oil, ashes, and animal waste.
Additional Composting Resources in NYC
Resources
Be sure to check out our partners who are also doing amazing compost work throughout New York City!
Featured:
- Save Our Compost NYC Movement!
Resources:
- Get DSNY compost
- LESEC - Lower East Side Ecology Center - Compost Donation Inquiry Form (deliveries for community spaces)
- GreenThumb Materials Request Form (for community gardeners)
- Big Reuse Compost Givebacks and events
- Big Reuse food scrap drop-off, volunteering, distributions
- Earth Matter Compost Pickup Request Form - (for Community Greening Projects)
- BK ROT curbside composting / buy compost
- GrowNYC food scrap drop-off
- Lower East Side Ecology Center food scrap drop-off, events
KEY:
- Greenย - No app required for access. Schedule may vary.
- Orangeย - Accessible 24/7 via the NYC Compost app.
Info
Composting Resources for NYC residents!
Featured:
- News: A Community of Growers: Civil Eats article on East New York Farms!
News:
- News: Civil Eats article on Community Composting in NYC
- News: NYCโs Community Composting Cuts Are Putting Its Curbside Plan at Risk
- News: NYC Dept. of Sanitation is expanding composting in NYC!
- News: NYC Makes it Mandatory for Residential Buildings to Recycle Food Waste
Info:
- Play this composting game
- Watch: Home Composting Basics on YouTube by ILSR and Brenda Platt
- Info: DSNY Composting media, resources, flyers
- Info: DSNY Curbside Composting
- Slideshow: DSNY Brown Bin Composting 101
- Info: Composting in large multi-unit (high rise) buildings
- Outdoor, Indoor Composting Guide, NYC Master Composter Manual
Contact Us
East New York Farms!
United Community Centers
613 New Lots Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11207
(718) 649-7979
