The dedicated residents of The Greystone co-op in north Yonkers won a Westchester County Eco Award for their groundbreaking food scrap collection program launched in cooperation with the Department of Public Works.
The Greystone Co-Op
Last year, Susan (Sue) McAnanama and her neighbors at The Greystone co-op spearheaded a pilot program for residential composting. The aim was to promote the use of waste hierarchy—reduce, reuse, and recycle. As a result, food waste wouldn’t linger and be detrimental to surrounding areas of their building.
Their sustainable mission first involved just a few residents collecting their food scraps and dropping it off at the local recycling center. However, this laborious process forced them to petition the Department of Public Works for regular pickups.
In the spring, the DPW formed a partnership with The Greystone residents for a pilot program that continues today. Those participating receive a kit that contains a small bin placed in their kitchen. Residents discard any food scraps there, then take it to the garage for collection into a larger bins. Lastly, building custodians would take this bin out to the curb for collection by the DPW every Tuesday and Friday.
During the initial trial run, McAnanama placed signs and flyers throughout the building about composting and upcoming meetings on the project. Doing this strengthened the community of environmentalists and encouraged others to become informed and involved. Volunteers even step in to eagerly assist disabled tenants.
To ensure that no one felt pressured into participating in the composting, McAnanama allowed people to join strictly at-will. She and her neighbors believe that people should feel uplifted and empowered by the act of doing–rather than burdened by it.
It was important to have our neighbors feel good about collecting their food scraps.
Sue McAnanama
At the initial stages of the program, there were only 10 members from the 200 families in the building. Soon, there were 15 members. And presently, 76 families are a part of the groundbreaking program.
A mountain of change and more to come
From May through December of 2023, residents composted eight tons of food scraps. The lessened dependency upon a waste incinerator therefore reduced air pollutants, toxic chemicals, and health risks. Furthermore, garbage is now a useful compost for parks and recreational areas. Consequently, taking out the trash has become a much lighter, efficient, and environmentally friendly task.
What’s more, Yonkers’ Department of Public Works will give the soil gathered from composting to the members at The Greystone. So in the spring, it will be used to bring to life fruits, vegetables, and plants in the community garden.
Recognition for recycling
The ambition, organization, and hard work by the residents of The Greystone is now receiving larger recognition. On April 3, Westchester County informed Sue McAnanama that they had won an Eco Award. Annually, Westchester County recognizes the efforts of passionate and pioneering residents, organizations, and businesses. Specifically, Westchester County’s Eco Award highlights those who have significantly improved the environment by stimulating eco-friendly habits and policies that breathe new life into the environment. This year, residents from The Greystone and other winners will be celebrated at a ceremony held on April 18 at Glen Island Park.
But, The Greystone community isn’t stopping at composting. It’s next project focuses on solar panels to provide electricity to their common areas. Residents estimate that solar panels could ultimately bring enough energy to fully power that infrastructure due to the sun exposure near the Hudson River. Their next step includes acquiring more knowledge and experience with solar panels.
Whether solar panels or recycling, residents of The Greystone continue to be examples of practical change. They inspire others to take initiative towards reviving the environment by promoting sustainability. Their community is a strong and successful model of the underlying light that shines from having awareness, being accountable, and taking action.
For more information about getting involved in efforts like these, please refer to the Recycling Guide and Yonkers Food Scrap Recycling Program.
