Louise Bruce

In 2010, Louise Bruce transformed a vacant lot in Brooklyn into a thriving “compost-first” garden. Within weeks of opening, hundreds of local community members began regularly participating in the project by bringing their kitchen scraps and using the finished compost to beautify the local neighborhood. Inspired by the project, Bruce dedicated her early career to community-based composting.

Today, Bruce continues to work for the NYC Department of Sanitation, where she oversees the development and expansion of New York City’s organic waste management programs to meet Mayor Bill de Blasio’s goal of providing all New Yorkers with curbside collection and convenient local drop-off locations where they can recycle their food waste. She also serves as a member of the advisory committees for the Cultivating Community Composting Forum and the U.S. Composting Council’s annual conference.