Second Saturday Shout-out: Domingo Morales

For this Second Saturday Shout Out, we at Citriclean are recognizing Domingo Morales from the Bronx for his positive composting initiatives, which have spread throughout the city. Domingo wants to bring composting to all people and focuses especially on the working class people who might not consider this option.

Domingo Morales had a rough life, growing up in NYC public housing, getting put in foster care, and being on the streets in an environment that was rough and dangerous. After working many low paying jobs, he joined the Green City Force, which is a nonprofit that attempts to make public housing more eco-friendly. Through his time at this nonprofit, he learned all about the best methods of composting in order to deter pests, lessen the smell, and utilize the most efficient way to decompose the produce.

The man that ran the compost site that Domingo worked at, David Buckel, became Domingo’s friend and was “the only person he was comfortable talking to.” In 2018, Buckle committed suicide by setting himself on fire in Prospect Park as an act of climate protest. Domingo took over operations for Buckel’s site, and eventually moved on to building five compost systems in four boroughs, all located at public housing, just like the one he grew up in. 

Domingo set up composts for the people in public housing, which lowers their waste amount, while simultaneously educating them on the benefits of composting. Tonya Gayle, a Green City Force executive director, stated that he was “super invested in community and for others to come after him.”

At Citriclean, two of the things we value most are the community and being sustainable. Our ingredients are all natural and we reuse our packaging, in order to play our part in helping the environment. We also care greatly about our community, customers, and everyone else who we interact with. We truly love everything that Domingo Morales is doing in New York City, because we share the same values as him, which is caring about other people and the planet.

Source: The New York Times