DSNY unveils new large-scale compost bagging machine

The New York Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has kicked off International Compost Awareness Week by unveiling a large-scale compost bagging machine, reports SILive.com.

The Hamer Fischbein 2090, located at the DSNY Staten Island Compost Facility in Fresh Kills, is bagging up to 600 pallets of compost per week with a total of 1.9 million bags annually. The compost is made from yard waste and food scraps that are collected at 125 drop-off sites around the city.

“Everybody who feeds this facility is doing the right thing and the fact that Staten Island is going to be the premier place for composting in New York City, it’s very exciting,” said DSNY Commissioner Edward Grayson.

After the materials are tilled, processed and bagged, the high-grade compost is given to city agencies such as the New York City Parks Department and other local community gardens.

The material is also sold to landscapers and farmers to help support DSNY’s role in New York City’s zero-waste goals.

A team of DSNY workers combines organic and plant-based material to ensure that soil is rich in nutrients and ready to be used.

“It’s got everything you need to really grow the next round of what’s going to feed it again, it is literally the circle of life,” Grayson told SILive.com.

Commissioner Grayson stressed the importance of residential organics collection to fuel the composting center on Staten Island.

“The Fresh Kills site is something special,” he added. “The fact that we can do something like this here that is going to give back and give the most nutrient-dense compost around, it’s truly special.”