EXCESS NYC: Documentation

Artists Ricardo Miranda Zúñiga and Brooke Singer are transforming a quadcycle into a mobile bodega and composting machine. They will partner with select businesses (e.g. markets, coffee shops, restaurants) to rescue food that would otherwise go to landfill. This is a free & temporary service to help reduce food waste and associated costs in exchange for a commitment from the participating businesses to improve their food waste practices. After pick up, the edible food will be freely distributed in public space like a park. The non-edible food will go into the bike’s compost barrel (that spins as the biker pedals!) and eventually transported to a community garden. We will work with the business to identify long-term solutions.

The goal of this project is to change the organic waste disposal practices of small businesses and create positive possibilities with excess food. New York City is currently running a pilot program at green markets for composting residential food waste. This project addresses the large amounts of food waste generated by businesses and brings the issue of excess food directly to the public.

2011 Research interviews are available on Vimeo, such as this discussion with Joe Holtz founding member of the Park Slope Food Coop.