Earth Matter NY

Nov 23, 2020 / Photo: Courtesy of Earthmatter.org

The misdirection of food waste is a known problem in the city. Fortunately, organizations like Earth Matter NY work to reduce unnecessary waste by offering composting resources to the community.

The New York nonprofit encourages neighbor participation and leadership in composting through a series of programs, including their Compost Learning Center on Governors Island. Educators at the center offer sessions and information on how to compost, which is an integral step in achieving a less wasteful lifestyle. They also distribute compost made at the center, in partnership with the New York City Compost Project and NYC Greenmarkets which donate their food scraps. The compost programing is part of the "Zero Waste Island" initiative, the goal of which is to reduce Governors Island’s waste export to zero.

Though the pandemic has led to a loss in funding and forced them to reduce their in-person programing, Earth Matter NY is still eager to increase composting awareness. The organization is currently working on a series of virtual sessions about composting, which individuals, classrooms, and other organizations can purchase. They are also looking to set up food scrap drop off stations around the city so that New Yorkers can more easily discard their organic waste to be turned into compost.

Earth Matter’s Soil Start Farm compost and farm apprenticeship program will begin accepting applications for its 2021 cohort in January. They are also looking forward to welcoming schools and larger groups back to the center as soon as it is safe to do so, though educational sessions are still available to a limited number of interested individuals on the weekends.

More information about Earth Matter NY — including their extensive programming and how to donate to their efforts — can be found on their website.