Cafeteria Organic Collections Program NYC Schools Secondary Education

Why Collect Organics? On average, about 40% of NYC School’s waste stream is organic It is expensive to transport and store this material in landfills, taking up valuable land. 12:25

Average Waste per year, American family of four 4.4 lbs per person, every day NYC generates 64,000 tons of waste every week

$300 Million= Over 13,000 NYC student's tuition to SUNY for all four years, plus book $$$ Exporting trash Exports jobs and money Out of NYC Exporting Waste Cost NYC: $300 million $300 Million= over 750,000 IPad 2’s with Wi-Fi 16GB

Food scraps, when put in a landfill, increase greenhouse gases. Landfills are the single largest man-made source of methane gas in the U.S. 12:25 Collecting Organics Reduces GHG

NYC pilot reduced schools’ cafeteria waste by 85%. Imagine city wide. Will Collecting Organics Make a Difference?

What Happens to Collected Organics? Organics are taken to commercial facilities to make compost, or to make renewable energy by capturing the methane gas released in decomposition Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Brooklyn DSNY Commercial Composting Facility

What is Compost? When we break down organic, or once living material, faster than it would in nature. Creates a chocolate colored dirt that gives plants nutrients “Decomposers” in the soil like micro-organisms, organisms, and worms break down organics. They are nature’s recyclers.

Introducing… the Organics Collection

Please take food out of foil, wrappers and bags before composting Please Bring ALL Cafeteria Waste to the Sorting Station(s)

Sort it Out. It’s Easy. Add ALL food scraps food soiled paper Remove Landfill trash Recycle Cartons, cans, bottles, & all hard plastics Pour Any liquids into bucket

Step 1: Pour Liquids into Bucket Step 2: Recycle Cartons, Cans, Bottles, Foil, and Hard Plastics Step 3: Remove Trash Plastic Bags, Film, Wrappers, and Foam Step 4: Add Organics Food Scraps Fiber Trays Paper Boats, Cups Plates and Napkins Sorting in Four Easy Steps

Remember to Recycle All Beverage Cartons, Cans and Bottles And aluminum foil

Take-out containers Plastic utensils Fruit & pudding cups Yogurt, dairy, deli & clamshell containers Foam Film Vinyl Wrappers Bags Pouches Recycle ALL Rigid (Hard) Plastics?

Remove Trash and put into Landfill Bin

Add ALL Leftover Food Scraps to the Organics Bin

Add All Food Soiled Paper and Fiber Trays to the Organics Bin

Teach Sustainability: Become a Cafeteria Monitor Community Service Hours Gain Job Skills Include on College Applications

Drop off at Green Markets Curbside Collection Pilot Collection for Apartments School Gardens Community Gardens Organics Collection is Growing in NYC

Recycling and composting at Yankee Stadium decreased waste by 40 percent. What would increase recycling and composting at this school? Get in the Game