On Thursday, the city council passed a policy that will require all New Yorkers to separate their organic waste from their regular trash by 2025. Much like the existing mandate for recycling, residents of all five boroughs will have to place food waste and organics in a separate bin for collection by the Department of Sanitation. The requirement will be rolled out first in Brooklyn and Queens in October, followed by the Bronx and Staten Island in March of 2024, and finally in Manhattan in October of 2024. This follows the same schedule as Mayor Eric Adams' universal compost collection program rollout, but this law will require participation rather than making engagement optional.
This is a big milestone in the city's pursuit of its 2030 climate change goals, which include removing 100% of recyclables and organic material from the waste stream. Agency research has found that organics make up half of the city's residential waste, which means this is a huge opportunity to divert our waste from landfills!
RSVP for the Solid Waste Advisory Board panel on Monday if you want to learn more about what happens to the city's organic waste and what's next for NYC's composting systems. Big Reuse's Executive Director Justin Green will be speaking on the panel, which will be moderated by city council member Sandy Nurse and hosted by NYC's Solid Waste Advisory Boards!
