As of this month, New York City has begun enforcing its mandatory composting policy with fines—sparking backlash from homeowners and prompting several City Council members to push legislation to roll the rule back.
The proposed bill, spearheaded by members of the Common Sense Caucus, aims to undo the Department of Sanitation’s composting mandate. The law technically took effect in October, but penalties for noncompliance only began on April 1.
Councilmember Kristy Marmorato, who represents the northeast Bronx’s 13th District, told 1010 WINS that approximately 2,000 fines have already been issued. She is leading the repeal effort alongside fellow Councilmembers David Carr, Vickie Paladino, Inna Vernikov, Susan Zhuang, and Robert Holden.
“One neighborhood in my district in Pelham Bay there were over 150 tickets given out in that first week and these people are outraged, they’re upset, they feel like it’s just another taxation on private homeowners, on the working class,” Marmorato said.
She argued that many of her constituents are frustrated because the city didn’t do enough to explain how composting works or how to comply with the new requirements—an accusation the Department of Sanitation strongly pushed back against.
“We have done extensive outreach on this: door knocking, traditional media, social media, and visits to Community Boards and civic groups,” a sanitation spokesperson said. “Every New York City resident has received a clearly worded mailer on mandatory curbside composting this week or last, with [tailored messaging].”
The DSNY noted that before issuing fines, it had already distributed 30,000 warnings to alert residents about the upcoming enforcement.
Marmorato and her colleagues argue that composting should be encouraged, not imposed. They believe it should be something residents can opt into voluntarily, not a mandatory burden.
“I think it should be an option. We shouldn’t be forced to compost. We live in the city. It’s not like we’re in the country where we can go out to our yard and just throw this composting out in the mulch pile,” she said. “What’s going to happen in the heat? It’s going to end up being gross … it’s going to be a disaster over the summertime.”
Under the current regulations, residents are required to place organic waste—including food scraps, leaves, yard trimmings, and food-soiled paper—into designated bins with secure lids or use official brown DSNY bins.
“We would note that it was the City Council that passed the mandate in the first place,” the DSNY spokesperson added. “Our understanding is that this proposal was introduced by a few specific council members.”
The composting mandate was approved in June 2023 as part of the city’s broader “Zero Waste Act”—a legislative package intended to reduce landfill contributions, combat climate change, and promote sustainable waste practices.
{Matzav.com}