One third of what New Yorkers throw away is food scraps and yard waste, but there’s a much better way to get rid of these scraps rather than just throwing it in the trash and leaving it to end up in a landfill.
One way residents can put their food and yard waste to good use is by composting it, and composting in NYC is getting easier than ever.
How composting works:
Composting is the process of recycling organic matter into fertilizer than can be used to enrich soil and plants. Essentially, composting speeds up the decomposition process by providing the waste with decomposing organisms, such as fungi and worms. What’s left is a soil-looking matter that’s rich in nutrients and can work wonders in a garden.
Composting is as easy as saving all your food and plant scraps in a container either on your counter or in the freezer (freezing your compost can help prevent the waste from rotting and giving off a bad smell), and dropping it off into a local compost bin.
It’s important to note what type of waste each bin accepts, however. For example, some bins accept items like food containers labeled as compostable while other bins do not.
Where to drop off your compost in NYC:
There are multiple programs that place compost bins around various neighborhoods making composting in NYC easier than ever. Some of these programs include:
Smart Compost Bins, Astoria
Smart Compost is a new residential drop-off composting program in Astoria. There are 20 bins around the neighborhood accessible 24/7. Once registering online you’ll get a free key card mailed to your house that will unlock any of the 20 Smart Compost bins.
Items that are accepted include meat, dairy, food leftovers, food-soiled paper like tea bags, coffee filters, napkins, and paper plates, and even dead flowers and houseplants. Learn more here.
Where: Multiple Locations
When: 24 hours a day 7 days a week
Downtown Public Compost Pilot Program, Lower Manhattan
The Downtown Public Compost Pilot Program in Lower Manhattan has 10 bins that are accessible 24/7. Download the app from the QR code on their website, or by scanning the code on any of the bins, and use the app to unlock any of the bins in this program.
Items that are accepted include food waste including coffee grounds and tea bags, shells (seafood, nut, and egg), bones, spoiled and expired food, food soiled paper (napkins, towels, uncoated plates, bags, trays, boxes), and yard and plant waste including leaves, flowers and trimmings, small twigs, and grass clippings. Learn more here.
Where: Multiple Locations
When: 24 hours a day 7 days a week
NYC Compost Project hosted by Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden operates compost bins that are available for you to drop your food scraps at, however be sure to check their schedule because they’re only open from April through November. Once open you can drop off your scraps on Fridays from 9a.m. – 12p.m., and Saturdays 10:30a.m. – 1p.m at Learn more here.
Items that are accepted include food scraps, coffee grounds and filters, paper tea bags, bread, eggshells and nutshells, food-soiled paper towels and napkins, shredded newspaper, sawdust and wood shavings from untreated wood, cut or dried flowers, and houseplants. Learn more here.
Where: Red Hook Community Farm, 103 Otsego St.
When: April-November, Friday 9a.m. – 12p.m., Saturday 10:30a.m. – 1p.m
NYC Department of Sanitation, Multiple Boroughs
The NYC Department of Sanitation encourages composting in NYC, and they created an interactive map of locations where you can drop off your food scraps across all boroughs. Before heading over to a bin be sure to confirm that it’s open and accepting food scraps.
Most of these compost bins accept fruits, vegetables, eggshells, coffee, tea, nuts, dried flowers an houseplants, bread, grains, and pasta. Learn more here.
Where: Multiple Locations
When: 24 hours a day 7 days a week
Curbside composting in NYC:
If you’d rather not have to drop off your compost there’s also something called curbside composting in NYC.
Anyone can sign up for curbside composting, however if you live in a building of 10+ units an authorized building representative (property manager or agent, superintendent, etc.) is required to sign up. Once you’re signed up it’s as easy as leaving your compost on the side of the street each week, just as you would with your trash and recyclables, and it will be picked up for you rather than you having to drop it off. Learn more about curbside composting here.
You can sign up for this service here.
How to get free compost in NYC:
The GrowNYC Compost Program has been striving towards making composting second-nature for all New Yorkers by collecting food scraps since 2011, but this spring they’re giving compost back!
GrowNYC is saying thanks to the thousands of New Yorkers who have prevented their food scraps from ending up in landfills by giving out 1-pound bags of ready-to-use compost on a first-come, first-serve basis while supplies last. This compost can be put into your backyard, garden, or indoor plants—and you can even sprinkle it on some of your neighborhood trees! It’s recommended you mix this compost into the soil at a ratio of at least 3 parts soil to 1 part compost.
To learn more and find out when and where you can pick up your compost, visit their website.