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Urban Composting
"Composting for a Greener and Cleaner Brooklyn" is the theme of this cooperative environmental project of BBG and the NYC Department of Sanitation. BBG hosts this Brooklyn branch of the NYC Compost Project, a compost education and outreach program funded and managed since 1993 by the NYC Department of Sanitation, Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling. Come see how to compost at BBG's Home Composting Exhibit near the Cranford Rose Garden, which has signs in English and Spanish. Working with residents, schools, community gardens, and other organizations, the Brooklyn Compost Project offers workshops on both indoor and outdoor composting and provides technical assistance to gardeners, building managers, landscapers, and institutions who wish to compost.
Please visit nyc.gov/wasteless/compost for more information; contact the Brooklyn Compost Project through the Compost Hotline at 718-623-7290, or email compost@bbg.org.
Composting Classes
There is a $5 materials fee for all Compost Project workshops. Space is limited, and preregistration is required; call 718-623-7220.
Composting in the City
Luke Halligan and Jenny Blackwell
Leaves, kitchen scraps, garden trimmings, and weeds can all become garden gold through composting. Making dark, rich, crumbly compost doesn't take much time, work, or space. This class covers the essentials: the composting process, how to compost even in small city yards, using finished compost, avoiding and solving problems, and helpful equipment and tools.
Section A: Thursday, January 14 | 6–8 p.m.
Section B (EVENING): Thursday, February 25 | 6–8 p.m.
$5 materials fee; registration required.
Teacher Workshop: Worm Composting in the Classroom
Luke Halligan
Working with worms in the classroom is a great hands-on way to teach ecology, recycling, and gardening. Learn how to set up a worm bin, feed worms with food scraps, and maintain the system. Activities for incorporating worm composting into science, math, and language arts for all grades will be introduced. Participants will receive a voucher to buy a pound of redworms and a plastic worm bin for only $44.
Thursday, January 28 | 6–9 p.m.
$5 materials fee; registration required.
This class may also be held at your Brooklyn school for a group of ten or more teachers for a fee of $25; for information, call 718-623-7290 or email compost@bbg.org.
Composting with Lovely Redworms
Luke Halligan
Did you know that redworms have five pairs of hearts? Come to this workshop and find out more about this unique species. Learn all about vermicomposting, including how to make and maintain a home for redworms. Participants will receive a voucher to buy a pound of redworms and a plastic worm bin for only $44.
Thursday, February 11 | 6–8 p.m.
$5 materials fee; registration required.
Master Composter Certificate Program
Luke Halligan and Jenny Blackwell
Do you want to know more about composting, and help spread the word and enthusiasm throughout Brooklyn? Consider our Master Composter Certificate Program! This program is designed to promote the practice of urban composting and the reduction of our city's solid waste. The program consists of 25 hours of classroom training (including two field trips) and 30 hours of volunteer outreach service in compost education and promotion. Application required; upon acceptance, there is a $40 nonrefundable materials fee.
8 Thursdays: March 11, 18, 25; April 15, 22, 29;
May 6, 13 | 6–9 p.m.
Contact us in January or early February to request an application form (due Friday, February 19) at 718-623-7290 or compost@bbg.org.
Other Composting Resources
Composting Guide
A complete guide to turning your kitchen scraps and garden clippings into a rich, nutritious soil conditioner.
Home Composting Exhibit
Come see how to compost at BBG's home composting exhibit near the Cranford Rose Garden. The display includes a variety of compost bins, different stages of decomposition, and signs in both English and Spanish to explain the process.
Handbook: Easy Compost
This BBG handbook, written by composting experts from across the country, simplifies this natural process while shattering some long-held myths. Includes composting tips for all regions and small spaces, as well as a buyer's guide to equipment. Read excerpts and buy it online.
Worm Suppliers
NYC Department of Sanitation offers a list of suppliers that sell worms for indoor composting, as well as worm bins and other vermiculture gear.
The New York City Compost Project
NYC Department of Sanitation composting programs.
Other Compost Websites
For more information on composting.