Mandatory composting arrives: What landlords need to know

New York’s quest to implement the largest composting program in the U.S. will take a big step forward on Oct. 6, when all residential buildings in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island will be required to separate food scraps from other garbage each week in curbside bins.

Composting more organic waste is part of the city’s strategy to combat climate change by keeping food scraps out of landfills where it produces planet-warming methane gas. Here’s what New Yorkers who manage properties, whether it’s their home or a larger portfolio, can expect when curbside composting arrives in their area.

When will curbside composting come to my borough?

As of Oct. 6, the city will begin weekly pickups for compost in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island. All residential buildings are required to participate as of this fall, but the city is giving property owners a grace period up to April 1, 2025 before it’ll begin issuing fines.

Do I need to buy a bin for my building, and where should it go?

The short answer is no. You can order a free brown composting bin from the city. But any bin with a capacity of 55 gallons or less and a tight lid will work (you’ll just need to order a free composting decal from the city to slap on the side of it). Building staff can simply place the bins alongside where they usually put their garbage and recycling bins.

What goes in a curbside compost bin, and what’s off limits?

“Really if you can eat it, you can compost it,” said Day. Fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meats, bones, shellfish, and so on, can be plopped in a compost bin for weekly pickup. Soiled paper products — think dirty napkins, coffee filters, greasy pizza boxes — and leaf and grass scraps from yards can also go in the compost bin.

How does pickup work?

A building’s compost collection day will be the same as its recycling day. Residents can store their compost in their fridge or freezer in a zip-lock bag or other low-tech container until it’s time to dump the refuse (the cold will prevent the food from rotting and stinking up the place). Most of the waste will end up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn where large metal “digester eggs” at a sanitation facility convert the waste into renewable fuel (biogas) that goes back into the grid to power homes.

What happens if my building doesn’t participate?

At first, essentially nothing. Buildings are supposed to comply starting the week of Oct. 6, but the city will only send out written warnings to buildings that aren’t composting until April 1, 2025. From then on the city will begin fining buildings. 

“We're not doing this to try and fine people,” said Day. “At the end of the day, our goal is really to just try and divert this material from landfills.” You can read more here.

This is something good for the city and the environment that we will all have to get used to. The fall market is off to a strong start - reach out to hear more.