On-Site Food Scraps Composting Facility Opens In White Plains

WHITE PLAINS, NY — The city of White Plains now has a place where residents can bring food scrap to be composted.

During a news conference Wednesday, local officials helped unveil a composting site at the Gedney Recycling Yard.

White Plains residents can drop off food scraps at the Gedney Yard which will be composted on site.

Officials said the site harnesses the potential of the food scraps to create nutrient-rich soil and contribute to a greener future for the next generation and demonstrates the commitment of White Plains to environmental stewardship and the pursuit of sustainable solutions.

White Plains Mayor Tom Roach said, with the assistance of Westchester County, the city has developed an efficient and financially feasible composting program that ensures the environmental benefits are more fully achieved.

“By adding on-site food waste composting to our existing composting program, we eliminate the trucking of food waste to a remote site, reducing our carbon footprint,” he said.

White Plains used Westchester County’s CompostED facility as a model for the site at Gedney Recycling Yard.

County Executive George Latimer said one of the goals of the CompostED facility was to serve as a model for municipalities to see local food scrap composting in action and be able to envision it in their communities.

“We are especially proud that the first municipality to take this step is also the county seat,” he said. “We encourage other communities to look to their own backyards to manage food scraps and reduce their waste in this way.”

This convenient service allows community members to dispose of food scraps, including meat, bread and pasta, fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, eggshells and other organic materials, in an environmentally responsible manner.

The facility transforms the organic waste into nutrient-rich compost, which can then be used to improve soil health, promote plant growth and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers.

The county’s Department of Environmental Facilities created CompostED in Valhalla as a demonstration site to educate municipal officials, residents and students on the benefits and ease of local composting.

According to a report commissioned by the department, food scraps comprise about 22 percent of residential waste.

Under the guidance of the county department, White Plains Department of Public Works staff was trained in the proper techniques for incorporating food waste into current composting operations. That included guidance on the construction of an aerated static pile system, which accelerates the decomposition process of organic materials by using controlled aeration to enhance microbial activity and facilitate the composting process. It also helps reduce odors.

Additionally, because White Plains now has an on-site food scrap composting operation, the city will reduce overall costs by eliminating fees for disposal of the waste.

The Gedney Recycling Yard is at 87 Gedney Way in White Plains.