NYC would be a whole lot greener if we all composted our food and yard waste. This 2007 Green Map provides great ideas about how and where to compost in Manhattan - and a connection to the pioneers who will help you turn waste into a rich resources with minimum fuss and mess.
This map was created by Green Map System and Lower East Side Ecology Center. It includes a chart of what can be composted in the average NYC pile, where to learn about composting and vermiculture and spots where you can leave your food and garden scraps. Online, there are case studies of businesses that compost, and more.
We choose this theme because of the many benefits of composting - it's the most energy efficient form of recycling too, and NYC could really use the rich soil created by composting. We feel the map will help composting become more popular. We started by charting Manhattan's resources, but within a few months, have had several requests to co-create an online Composting Green Map charting all of NYC.
(While supplies last), request copies of the handy folded map for your personal use at apple @ greenmap.org. By mail: send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Composting Green Map, PO Box 249 NYC 10002.
The appeal of this map surprised us, and we have fulfilled requests from many parts of the US for copies. We held 2 debuts, one at the Greenmarket, where our project partners from Lower East Side Ecology Center (http://www.lesecologycenter.org/les_frames.html) have a stand, and at our new office's first open house.
The second edition was published in 2007. By then, the amount of compostable food scraps collected tripled at our partner's stand and doubled at their second location!
http://Treehugger.com and http://Worldchanging.org covered the debut of the map.
Botanical gardens and composting advocates citywide want to be on the map! So we are are starting to develop an online version that will chart this fast-growing greening movement.
And, it turns out 5,000 copies are way too few! We hope to have the support to update and print more soon.
Online, we have added some case studies to encourage the business sector to do more composting. There's links to handy resources, too.
The narrow focus of this map could be easily replicated by other Green Map projects. It could be a good youth map, or beginner's project.
Volunteers and support to help us build the online version, open to additions from the community.
Interviews, images, press release.
Christina Datz-Romero and Kate Zidar of LES Ecology Center on research, our student intern, Anya Farquar, who made the overall layout and compost logo, and Jane Barber who finalized the design. Other Green Map staff members, too, and thanks to supporters Greenacre Foundation and NYC Enviro Fund.
The number of schools composting was a pleasant surprise.
One of our website's Business Case Studies is Birdbath Bakery (see http://buildagreenbakery.com), where Manager Sara Weeks pointed out, "The cost of pick-up is less for organic waste than for general waste, thus overall trash pick-up costs are cheaper."
