1. 35% of Waste Collected by the Department of Sanitation is Organic

In 2012, Sanitation Commission John J. Doherty said that New York City spent $85 million exporting organics to out-of-state landfills. 35 percent of the waste that the DSNY collects is organic material and can be composted. On its website, the DSNY proposes a number of ways to compost organic material, including urging residents to be a part of the DSNY’s Organics Collection Pilot Program, composting waste at home or within your community and dropping off material at designated drop-off sites around the city. McEnroe Organic Farms use the organic compost for the crops on their farms that are eventually delivered in New York City restaurants and greenmarkets.

Next, read about 10 Fun Facts About the Sunset Park Material Recovery Facility, NYC’s State of the Art Municipal Recycling Facility. When the author isn’t writing about literal trash, she’s Tweeting @jen_bagcal.