Mandatory Composting Has Arrived and includes the curbside bill. When food waste goes into landfills, it produces methane, "which is the worst of the greenhouse gang," she said. in Brooklyn: What You Need to Domingo Morales, the founder of the grass-roots organization Compost Power, added Know that composting makes soil healthier, which improves food growing capabilities and can also capture more carbon dioxide. The program, planned to be citywide by 2025, requires residents to separate food scraps Here’s what New Yorkers should expect when it arrives in their areas. and yard waste from their trash. When will curbside composting come to my neighborhood? Pickup has been offered in Queens for about a year now, except for a three-month pause last winter. On Oct. 2, curbside came to Brooklyn. The Bronx and Staten Island will be next in March, followed by Manhattan in October 2024. Do I need a brown bin from the city? Image Brown compost bins for curbside collection are available free from the city Credit…Sara Hylton for The New York Times 1III11 Compost can be stored in a freezer at home between pickups. Credit…Sara Hylton for The New York Times By Hilary Howard Oct. 4, 2023 No. Any bin, with a capacity of 55 gallons or less and a tight lid, will work. But if you Universal curbside composting came to Queens. Now it’s Brooklyn’s turn. want something official looking (and free), you can order one (or even just a decal for your chosen receptacle) through the Department of Sanitation, depending on when your The program, which is expanding across the city over the next year, requires residents to borough is starting the program. separate food scraps and yard waste from their trash. Soon, it will be mandatory for all New Yorkers. Brooklyn residents may order them through Oct. 13. Composting is crucial for fighting climate change, explained Councilwoman Sandy Those who live in the Bronx, Staten Island and Manhattan should check back with the Nurse, a sponsor of the Zero Waste Act, a legislative package that passed this summer department in early 2024. Show less

What will curbside composting accept? Basically, all food, anything that grows in the dirt and a few other items. These can include fruits and vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds, bread, pasta, cereal, rice, meat, bones, dairy, prepared foods, greasy uncoated paper plates. [that b01155, 1941f and yard waste. ‘NewYorkers should not overthink this,” Councilwoman Nurse said. “Is this something 1 can eat? 0r Ennis? Cool, it goes in the bin.” Editl] I’S’ Picks Yardwaste an be mixed in with food scraps (aslgngas all of it is placed in a receptacle with a tightfitting lid). But residents can also keep yard waste separate by placing it in a bag or in a different container. Sign up for the New York Today HamlettELEarh morning, get the latest on NewYorlr businesses, arts, sports, dining, style and more. Get it sent to your inbox. What does not go in the compost bin? Anything that should go into recycling, like metal, glass, plastic, cartons, clean paper and cardboard, and. other trash items like wrappers, pet waste. medical waste, diapers, foam, or hygiene products. How will [11%]; work? The city has trucks that hold compost on one side and regular trash on the WHSam Hyllon for The NewYork Timm Yard waste and food scraps will be picked up on recycling day. Check for the recycling schedule lfl. The Sanitation Department new has dualrbin trucks with two chambers that can pick up different materials at the same time. On one side might be recycling, on the other side, compost. Pickup times, as well as the design and number oftmclc, will depend on the density of the district. For those in high-rises or larger buildings, each property’s management is expected to develop a plan for collecting and setting out compost for pickup. Expect some kinks in the beginning. Linna Q’uigley, 37, who lives in 3 Jackson Heights coop, was delighted when curbside came to Queens= emailing an FAQ. sheet about composting to her neighbors, she said. But, she sa3s. sometimes she sees regular trash in her 79-m1it building’s one communal, brown bin. “This is going to be a long process,” Councilwoman Nurse said. “Just like with anything that’s new, you have to constantly reinforce it” New Yorkers who want to get ahead of their building’s curbside composting plans can finest a visit from someone at Sanitation to go over options. How do I store food scraps at home? “You don’t need a fancy $100 countertop bin from Amazon,” said Mr. Morales, who suggested empty jumbo mayonnaise or peanut butter jars. even a zip—lockbag, for storing waste. mUsually a zip—locking will last me a good four to five months,” he said. Once you empty the bag in the communal bin, he added, it’s eag’ to wash and reuse. Show less

For lining a small bin or bucket, there are biodegradable bags (look for the ASTM They are called "smart bins" for a reason: You’ll need to download an app to use them. D6400 specification), but they still take a while to break down. And they You can do that here do not compost, Mr. Morales said. For transporting waste, he suggested using a brown paper bag, like one from Trader Joe’s. It can get tossed into the compost bin, and it’s carbon rich, he said. If I live where it’s not yet mandatory to separate food scraps, can I go ahead and start doing it? For the large bin that Sanitation workers pick up, you can line it with a garbage bag, which can also be reused. But it’s not necessary. Basically, whoever controls putting the Yes. There are community drop-off composting sites, run by various nonprofits, recycling and composting out should make this decision. throughout the five boroughs. You can find the one closest to you here. Rules for what they accept tend to be more strict than curbside service or the orange smart bins. For What happens if I don’t participate? example, most of them do not accept meat, bones and dairy. At first, nothing really. The law won’t go into effect until six months after the entire city What happens to the waste after it’s picked up? has gotten curbside composting service. If the rollout stays on schedule, this should put us at Spring 2025- In terms of fines, details are still being worked out, but they will be comparable to recycling fines and will depend on the size of the building – between $25 and $100 for a first offense Once the law is enacted, if sanitation workers are collecting the trash and they find food or yard waste mixed in with the garbage, they are supposed to call their supervisor, who will write a ticket. What are the those orange bins on the streets? Image A wastewater treatment plant in Newtown Creek Credit..Sara Hylton for The New York IIIIII HIHI Times Some of it goes to compost facilities in New Jersey or to a site in Staten Island. At the latter, the material is set into 10-foot-tall rows (called windrows), where it gets turned and aerated over time and broken down into soil. It is then either sold or given away. compost New Yorkers interested in free compost can find a pickup point close to them here. Some of the waste goes to anaerobic digesters, large sealed containers that store it while bacteria break it down. The largest hub for this process is in Newtown Creek in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where "eggs" convert the waste into biogas (a renewable fuel) that can go into the grid to power homes. New Yorkers need to download an app to use the smart compost bins. Credit.. Robert K. Chin/Alamx The city is looking to expand facilities to meet increasing demand and to diversify processing so as not to overburden any one neighborhood, according to the Department Those are smart compost bins, and there are about 400 of them across the city, available of Sanitation. for anyone to use at any time. They accept the same items as curbside service. Show less