The Green Materials Recycling Center

NYBG horticulturists generate an enormous amount of compostable green waste as we care for our more than 1,000,000 living plants. All cut grass, leaves, weeds, deadheaded flowers, twigs, branches—all “green materials”—go into the 800 yards of compost, 1,000 yards of mulch, and 500 yards of high quality soil that we sustain for application back to the landscape to promote healthy plants, suppress weeds, and reduce our dependence on chemicals. Composting and reusing our green waste rather than sending it to a landfill reduces the number of trucks on New York streets, decreases our carbon footprint, and limits our need to purchase and apply expensive and environmentally unsustainable herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers.