OAKLAND GARDENS, NEW YORK – Assembly Member David Weprin (D –Fresh Meadows) and the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) distributed free NYC compost to local residents in Alley Pond Park this Sunday.  Held to raise awareness about organics recycling and to encourage environmentally sustainable practices, Weprin and his team handed out over 180 bags of compost to local residents for use in their home garden.

One third of waste collected in New York is composed of yard waste and food scraps, also known as organics. The organics collection program allows the Department of Sanitation to collect these food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste from residents in select areas to turn it into compost or renewable energy. Currently, 3.5 million New Yorkers in all five boroughs have the option of utilizing curbside organics services including residents living in Queens Community Boards 8, 9, 10, 11, & 13; each of which are in Assembly District 24. Once organics are collected, they are sent to one of several NYC compost sites to be transformed into organic fertilizer to be used as compost.

“Being environmentally friendly has gotten a lot easier in Queens thanks to the Department of Sanitation’s organics collection program. By placing our food scraps and yard waste in the brown bins provided by DSNY, with little effort on our part, we have helped to keep tons of waste out of landfills,” said Assemblyman David I. Weprin. “I want to thank DSNY for creating this program and I want to thank all of my constituents who use the organics bin for helping to create a greener future.”