The city is trying to encourage residents to separate their organic waste from the rest of their trash, but some critics argue that the fines may not be enough to make a real difference.
What’s the Problem with New York City’s Current Approach?
As of April 1, all New Yorkers must separate organic waste — that includes food scraps, food-soiled paper, and leaf and yard waste — from the rest of their trash, similar to how metal, glass, paper, and plastic is set aside for recycling. The city’s curbside composting program, which only rolled out in all five boroughs last year, aims to divert food waste from landfills by collecting it weekly by the sanitation department, just like the trash and recycling.
Why is Composting Important?
- The methane released as food decays in landfills is a major driver of global warming.
- The United States wastes as much food as it did nearly 10 years ago, despite setting an ambitious goal to cut food waste in half.
The City’s Current Recovery Rate is Low
New York lags far behind other large U.S. cities in diverting food waste from landfills by composting. In the 2024 fiscal year, the city recovered less than 5 percent of eligible households’ organic waste. The fines announced this month are designed to boost compliance, but critics say more needs to be done to educate residents on the benefits of composting.
Education is Key
Local composting advocate Lou Reyes argues that the city should focus more on educating residents on the benefits of composting.
“My concern is that, instead of doing outreach, we’re focusing on fear-mongering,” said Reyes. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, I started a volunteer-run effort in Astoria, Queens, to collect and compost neighborhood food waste. I described the city’s recovery rate of organic waste prior to the rollout of fines as ‘pretty shameful.'”
Expert Advice
Joseph Piasecki, the public affairs and policy coordinator for San Francisco’s environmental department, suggests that education is the city’s biggest tool to boost compliance. The city’s organics hauler works to notify residents and businesses of potential mix-ups before fining them.
| Example | San Francisco’s Approach | New York City’s Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Notification of residents and businesses | San Francisco’s organics hauler notifies residents and businesses of potential mix-ups before fining them. | New York City’s DSNY has sent out citywide mailers, but critics argue it needs to do more. |
Critics argue that the city’s approach to composting may create environmental justice issues, as food waste is sometimes sent to wastewater-treatment plants instead of composting facilities.
| Example | Los Angeles’ Approach | New York City’s Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Use of composting facilities | Los Angeles uses composting facilities to turn food scraps and yard waste into compost. | New York City’s food waste is often sent to wastewater-treatment plants. |
New York City’s approach to composting needs to be reevaluated, according to critics. The city’s composting program should focus on educating residents on the benefits of composting and addressing environmental justice issues.
The New York City Department of Sanitation and Environmental Protection (DSNY) is still working to educate the public about the composting program. The city’s environmental director, Eric Goldstein, said that the city’s approach to biogas conversion is creating an incentive for rebuilding fossil fuel infrastructure.
“Would the ‘local environmental advocates’ you spoke with prefer that we use fracked gas to heat homes and businesses?” Goldstein asked. “Unfortunately, their rhetoric can discourage participation and send more food and yard waste to release methane in faraway landfills.”
New York City’s fines for not composting may not be enough to cut food waste, critics argue. The city needs to reevaluate its approach to composting and focus on educating residents on the benefits of composting and addressing environmental justice issues.
“Those are, I think, more acceptable and more dignified solutions than the mess that we have in New York City,” said Lou Reyes. “I am a huge supporter of municipal organic recovery that actually works.” That means having the community actually buy into the idea of keeping food out of landfills and ensuring environmental justice issues are not created in the process.
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