Bronx residents voice issues with NYC compost enforcement
NEW YORK - Some Bronx residents are voicing their issues with the composting mandate and fines implemented by the New York City Department of Sanitation.
Rochelle Mandina in Morris Park says she used to collect compost a few years ago.
"I would open my pail, and there would be like bugs flying all over the inside of it, so I stopped doing it," shared Mandina.
However, she's back to collecting scraps to avoid facing a fine.
The Department of Sanitation says it has issued a little more than 3,500 citations since enforcement started on April 1.
Mandina said she's concerned she could face fines for other reasons.
"So now, if I leave my pail out here, and somebody comes along and steals it every week, I have to pay for that," said Mandina.
Living in Pelham Bay, Shelia Jenkins said collecting the compost hasn't been ideal, compared to what she's traditionally done for most of her life.
"Instead of putting it in the garbage every night, I have to scrape the plates and put the bag in the refrigerator because the stench would have me crazy," Jenkins expressed.
Local representatives looking to change rules
District 13 Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato says hearing issues about the compost bins and the enforcement has become common.
"I have one neighborhood that had 150 tickets for composting, and I know they've taken it over 2,000 in the first week alone, and it's very frustrating. People don't know what to do, and it's a learning curve," said Marmorato.
Marmorato said she and other council members want to see the mandatory separation changed.
"The Common Sense Caucus down in the City Council is putting together some legislation to make it optional in the outer boroughs for composting," shared Marmorato.
The Sanitation Department reported it collected nearly 3.6 million pounds of compost during the second week of the enforcement, which is more than three times what was collected at that time last year.
Vincent Gragnani, the press secretary for the Bureau of Public Affairs with the Sanitation Department, released a statement to CBS News New York, saying in part:
"This year, we are slated to give away more than 5 million pounds of compost to residents at our giveback events. Demand has been so high, we just added a third site in Astoria to our existing sites in Greenpoint and Fresh Kills. We also give free compost and mulch to NYC agencies and nonprofits. All in all, we generally distribute in the tens of millions of pounds per year including what is given for free to residents and Parks and what is sold to landscapers."
Although the mandate is geared toward helping the environment, some Bronx residents would like the department to revisit ideas for its current way of collecting compost.
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