Composting Is Mandatory April 1!

Starting April 1, New York City will begin issuing fines for non-compliance with its mandatory composting law, which has been in effect since October. All residents must separate food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste from regular trash. Despite outreach, participation remains low, especially in large buildings and low-density areas. City officials say enforcement and ongoing education are essential to making the program work. 

Here’s what you need to know:

• Every NYC resident must separate yard waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper from regular garbage (details of what is and isn't acceptable NYC.gov and NYC311)
• Compost is collected on your recycling day (find your recycling/compost pick-up day here).
• Buildings with fewer than nine units will be fined $25 for a first offense, increasing to $100 for repeat violations.
• Buildings with nine or more units face fines starting at $100, rising to $300 for repeated noncompliance.(more about collection laws here.
• If your landlord hasn’t provided composting bins, you can report them via 311 starting April 1. (info on how dn where to get bins for composting here)

CompostingInfo sessions:

• April 10: Register here.
• April 24: register here: 
• Watch a recorded info session here.