New York City Doubling its School Organic Waste Collection ProgramNew York City Doubling its School Organic Waste Collection Program

New York City has expanded its in-school organic waste collection program.

The New York Department of Sanitation is more than doubling the size of the Organics Collection Program from last year. The department will now be collecting from more than 720 schools, it said in a news release.

The Department of Sanitation provides schools in all five boroughs separate collection of organics, including all public schools in Manhattan and Staten Island, and selected schools in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx.

Schools participating in the program can recycle about 90 percent of their waste. Officials say nearly one-third of the city’s waste is organics.

The Department of Sanitation is partnering with the city’s Department of Education. In addition to organics recycling, the sanitation department also works with city schools on paper and cardboard recycling; metal, glass, plastic and carton recycling; and waste reduction.

“The (organics) program puts renewed interest in waste management and recycling inside schools,” said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. “When we teach children to recycle in their school, they will often encourage their families to recycle at home.”