From the Mayor that promotes less gigantic soda consumption, restrictions on public smoking and freedom for city bikers, plans to require New Yorkers to separate food waste for collection and composting are underway.
This initiative stems from a voluntary pilot program that began last May, with 150,000 family homes and 100 family buildings.
According to Mayor Michael Bloomberg himself in a speech last February, “Food scraps make up about 1.2 million tons, or 35 percent, of the city’s annual waste, which gets sent to landfills at a cost of about $80 per ton.” These efforts are directed towards utilizing the scrap as an alternative energy source, as recycled waste can either be used as fertilizer or converted to natural gas.
This would also divert 30% of landfill waste by 2017, according to Bloomberg.com.
[Images via: 1, 2 | Feature Photo: 3]
