Throughout New York City, you can now find compostable bags and brown bins in addition to the blue and green bins for recycling plastic, metal, glass, and paper. New York City's compostable bags and brown bins are designed exclusively for organic waste. This multimillion dollar initiative — NYC Organics Collection — is designed to:
While the city enlisted the services of scavenging swine to rummage through the gutters for leftovers in the 19th century, today New York City compostable bags achieve more desirable outcomes through the chemistry of decay. And in the process of conserving the planet and potentially saving millions of dollars, this new initiative is projected to provide renewable energy for homes throughout the area.
Why Is New York City Using Compostable Bags?
Each year, a mind-boggling 14 million tons of waste is tossed out in New York City. Shipping these truckloads of waste to landfills or incinerators as far away as South Carolina costs the city upwards near $400 million every year.
In any given trash heap, the largest portion of it is made up of things that were once living or organics, such as egg shells, an apple core, a slice of pizza, and the greasy paper plate it was served on. All of these items are loaded with moisture, which only adds to the weight and cost of shipping. As these organic items decompose, they release what is known as methane — a very common greenhouse gas.
The goal is to convert businesses and the average consumer to composting by encouraging them to collect and properly dispose of food scraps. Instead of tossing them in the trash, organics can be stored and disposed of in biodegradable bags or compostable bags and eventually converted into renewable energy.
The city hopes that approximately 3.2 million tons of waste sent to the landfills each year can be diverted into compost and result in immense recycling savings for the city. Currently scraps from the pilot programs are going to regional and local compost facilities.
What Will Be Done with the Compost?
Everyone knows how composting is an excellent fertilizer. However, New York City's composting program has much greener and more ambitious hopes. By the summer of 2018, a new facility National Grid at Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant is scheduled to break ground.
This plant like many others will look to turn the methane gas given off from residential and commercial compost into enough natural gas to heat up to 5,200 homes in Brooklyn. This means by the first cold day of next year, a small group of National Grid customers could be warming their homes with gas made primarily from food waste.
How to Use the Brown Bin and NYC's Compostable Bags?
For NYC Organics Collection, simply line the brown bin with a certified compostable liner or bag. These bags are uniquely engineered to reduce odors as well as keep the bin clean. In choosing a certified compostable bag, make sure to look for the Biodegradable Products Institutes Logo. If your facility or business receives organics curbside collection, use the following guidelines for setting out food-soiled paper, food scraps, and yard waste:
- Find a certified compostable can liner for your business. Compostable can liners like the BioTuf Compostable bags are uniquely engineered to promote moisture dissipation and odor control.
- Separate your food and organic waste from other recyclables and trash. Make sure you toss all organic waste into your certified compostable can liner.
- Store your New York City-approved compostable bag in a convenient place, such as in the freezer, under the sink, or on the countertop until pickup day.
- If you're using a certified compostable can liner, simply place the bag and organic waste into the brown bin and set it out at the curb for collection.
Contact AAA Polymer for New York City Approved Compostable Bags
If you're looking for New York City approved compostable bags, don't get duped by purchasing a compostable bag that's not approved by the city. Instead, the experts at AAA Polymer offer a long list of Heritage BioTuf Compostable can liners that are New York City approved compostable bags.
Heritage BioTuf Compostable Liners are uniquely designed to allow microbial organisms to eat the organics and safely reintegrate the nutrients back into the soil. These bags are 100% compostable and seamlessly function within New York City's zero-waste/ organic diversion programs.
The process behind BioTuf Compostable Bags is simple:
Contact AAA Polymer today to learn more about BioTuf Compostable Bags approved for New York City's waste diversion program.