You are reading

Mayor Announces Queens-Wide Composting Program, Service to Start in October

Mayor Eric Adams announces the launch of a curbside composting program that is coming to the entire borough of Queens this fall (Photo courtesy of mayor’s office)

Aug. 8, 2022 By Christian Murray

The city will be providing residents throughout Queens with a composting service starting in the fall.

The mayor and the Department of Sanitation announced Monday that beginning Oct. 3 all residential buildings in Queens will be part of a curbside composting program.

The city will be collecting leaf and yard waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper products on a weekly basis throughout the borough. This will be the first time an entire borough will receive the service.

The borough was selected in part because Queens produces a significant amount of leaf and yard waste, with the borough home to 41 percent of New York City’s street trees.

“Starting this fall, we’re bringing guaranteed, weekly curbside composting to the entire borough of Queens — taking action to keep our streets clean and simultaneously fight climate change,” Mayor Adams said. “This launch makes New York City home to the largest curbside composting program in the country.”

Unlike past composting programs, there is no sign-up required for this new service. Residents of Queens need to simply set out their waste on the assigned day and let DSNY pick it up.

The collection schedule will be available on DSNY’s composting website by mid-September.

To participate in the program, residents must place food waste in a labeled bin with a secure lid or a bag to prevent pests and odors. Residents may use an old DSNY-issued brown bin or a lidded, labeled bin of their own.

DSNY will deliver bins to all Queens residential addresses with 10 or more units in the coming weeks. Homeowners can request a bin online at nyc.gov/curbsidecomposting.

Weekly service will begin October 3 and run through late December. After a three-month pause for winter — when there is little to no yard waste to be collected — service will resume in late March 2023.

The city says the program is needed to prevent climate change and waste.

When waste decomposes at a landfill, it creates methane, a potent and dangerous greenhouse gas, the city says. Separating compostable material from household trash is one easy way to ensure a cleaner, greener city.

About one third of the city’s residential waste is compostable material, which can help gardens grow or create power through renewable energy.

email the author: [email protected]
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

CM Moya announces support for massive Metropolitan Park proposal near Citi Field

Council Member Francisco Moya announced his support for Metropolitan Park, a proposal put forward by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International that calls for the construction of a casino and entertainment complex on the parking lot just west of Citi Field.

In a lengthy statement released on Thursday afternoon, Moya said that when he was first approached about the project, his main consideration was ensuring that it would meet the needs of his constituents and provide a major boost to the local economy.

Long Island man charged in fatal Flushing hit-and-run that left 81-year-old man dead: NYPD

A Long Island truck driver was arrested on Tuesday and booked at the 109th Precinct in Flushing for a fatal hit-and-run collision that killed a Murray Hill senior who was riding an electric bike on Northern Boulevard three months ago.

Kyle Schreiber, 27, of Lincoln Boulevard in Hauppauge, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in the death of 81-year-old Peter Seo on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 28.