A new program will soon allow city residents to compost from the convenience of their homes.
During the State of the City address, Mayor Eric Adams announced that curbside composting will be expanded to all five boroughs by the end of 2024.
The announcement came after a pilot program was tested in Queens last year, which officials say was a success.
Residents of Queens who had access to the program say it made composting convenient.
"We had just started composting coming out here, but we couldn't always make it, you know what I mean?" resident Danny Katch said. "So when they brought it to the buildings, it was a big deal."
Experts say one-third of the city's waste can be composted.
There are many environmental benefits of composting, including increased soil health, lower greenhouse gas emissions and more nutreints in the environment.
"We can be fighting litter, reducing the opportunity for open dining for rats, and fighting climate change all at the same time, while turning it into a material that's that's usable pretty easily," Julie Tighe, the president of the New York League of Conservation Voters, said.
The organization is pushing for more composting options for residents.
As of now, city residents will not be mandated to compost. But advocates hope the curbside program will encourage more to dispose of food scraps this way.
"Everyone's going to be able to have a bin that they can put their materials in just like there's a blue ribbon for your recyclables, like your your glass and your plastic and your paper. There'll be a brown bin that will be available for food waste," Tighe said.
The city has released the following timeline for when people in each borough can expect the program to start in their neighborhoods:
- Queens- March 27, 2023
- Brooklyn- Oct. 2, 2023
- Bronx and Staten Island- March 25, 2024
- Manhattan- Oct. 7, 2024
Many food items, including fruits, vegetables, eggshells, coffee, tea, nuts, dried flowers, bread, grains and pasta, can be composted.
The New York City Sanitation Department's website has drop-off locations, hours of operation and specifics on what can be accepted.