NYC Composting Organizations Receive Funding to Continue Services Through Spring 2024

Big Reuse, Earth Matter NY and LES Ecology Center announced new philanthropic funding to support their community composting programs impacted by the city's budget cuts. Funding for these services is due to stop on January 1, 2024.

Mill, the company behind the home food-recycling system, along with other philanthropic partners, donated an additional $350,000 to maintain compost processing operations into spring for the organizations previously funded by the NYC Compost Project, including Big Reuse, LES Ecology Center and Earth Matter NY. The funding also prevents the loss of some of the 40+ green jobs and expertise at risk as a result of these budget cuts.

This donation ensures that organics that are collected from New Yorkers at GrowNYC Greenmarkets and LES Ecology drop-off sites across the city can be processed and turned into compost by Big Reuse and Earth Matter NY, and redistributed in the community.  This latest philanthropic effort follows an anonymous donation to GrowNYC's Composting Program in December 2023.

"Mill is involved in these efforts as part of its mission to keep food out of the landfill. One of the most effective ways to do that is to support local community composting programs that increase public awareness and education around wasted food, benefit neighborhoods by keeping streets clean, and providing essential soil amendments for the city's parks and gardens. Community composting as we know it in the United States was born in New York as a result of the efforts of these organizations over decades. We're proud to be supporting these vital teams who – through their long-term commitment to raising awareness of the importance of keeping food out of landfills – have been an inspiration to us," said Harry Tannenbaum, president and co-founder, Mill.

Significant additional funding is still necessary to cover the $3 million city budget cut and support vital outreach, education and engagement programs across the city. Mill is galvanizing support for additional emergency funds to support these community composting nonprofits until city funding is restored. There has been an outcry from New Yorkers at the potential loss of community composting services, with more than 47,000 signing a petition in support of the organizations.

"We're grateful for the recent financial support from an anonymous donor, allowing GrowNYC to continue food scrap collection until June 2024 but the future of our seven vital coalition partners is at stake," said Andrina Sanchez, Communications Lead, GrowNYC.

In addition to the philanthropic contribution, Mill is also pledging ongoing support by donating $100 for anyone who signs up for its service at mill.com/nyc using code MillxNYC through June 2024. This initiative will create a continued source of funding for the community composting organizations through June 2024.

If you are an interested organization, philanthropist or company looking to get involved in the campaign to save NYC community composting, contact [email protected].

New Yorkers can continue to spread the word and voice support to restore funding by signing the petition, or making a direct donation to the organizations' fundraising page.