The McCarren Park Compost Project

Ever since local activist Kate Zidar (pictured below at left) made me wake up early one May morning to help sift through some compost that sat through the winter--far less gross than it sounds--I have been saving my banana peels, eggshells, and other organic plant waste in a small trash can next to the sink. Every Saturday, I stop by the fenced off area across from the Orthodox Church on North 12th Street, put my "greens" in a digester and add a healthy dose of "browns" (also far less gross than it sounds) from a pile of leaves and twigs. Since I started doing this, my non-recyclable trash has been cut in half.


Let's let Jo Micek (pictured above at right), a Compost Project stalwart volunteer, tell the rest:

The North Brooklyn Compost Project came to life thanks to Master Composter Kate Zidar and her love of all things green, brown and wormy. The site is located on the corner of North 12th and Driggs Streets, on the southeast border of McCarren Park, between the dog run and the Green Dome Garden. It collects food scraps (all fruit and vegetable peelings and pits; rice pasta, bread, and cereal; coffee grounds with filter and teabags; and egg shells--nothing meaty, fishy or greasy) and turns them into a rich, nutritious, and delicious-smelling soil, greatly reducing the amount of household waste that is burned and/or dumped in landfills.

The Project is a 100% volunteer effort, made possible by a small group of Greenpoint/Williamsburg residents who spend few hours each week turning over compost, spying on worms, and talking about issues like sustainability and reducing the municipal waste stream. It is always in need of volunteers and donations of supplies and skills (artistic, organizational, fundraising).

Please stop by any Saturday between 9 am and 12 pm to drop off your kitchen scraps, say hello to the project members, and ask any and all composting questions. You can also contact the project at gdgcompost [at] gmail -dot- com.

Above: Another satisfied participant

Hot Composting Tips
Make sure the bag you use to collect greens in does not have holes (learned the hard way)
If you add coffee grinds or tea bags, squeeze them out first- this reduces the amount of liquid that gathers in your bag (also learned the hard way)
If you have the time, cut your stuff into small pieces- it helps make the compost decompose quicker
Compostable goods can smell after a little more than a week, so try to drop it off every week
If you have a big enough freezer, you can hold your "greens" in there and take it all at once and not worry about the smell