NYC’s residential recycling rate hovers below 20% even though nearly 75% of our waste is recyclable.
In 2013 NYC began piloting curbside compost collection, and the collection program grew across the boroughs until the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
The budget crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic shifted the availability of compost programs for NYC residents.
Did you know that we pick up food scraps in Manhattan?
Learn more, and also read about the post-pandemic residential organics landscape in NYC, on our Reclaimed Organics program’s Save Our Compost page.
Set your food scraps aside, keeping them separate from recyclables and trash.
You can use almost anything! A paper bag, Tupperware, old yogurt containers, takeout containers, a or plastic bag for transport, (but please keep in mind plastic is not compostable). When buying compostable bags, look for the “ASTM D6400 specification”, and be sure to check ahead that your compost site accepts them.
Most city residents will compost by dropping food scraps. Find a drop off near you, or contact our Reclaimed Organics program if you’d like to learn more about our microhauling pickup service!
Microhauling is the small-scale collection of materials. We use bikes, and other microhaulers have collection methods that are scaled to their communities.
Learn more about our Reclaimed Organics program, we collect from residents and businesses in Manhattan.
Check out the crowdsourced tracker for info on other microhaulers – (check the third tab).
You may live or work in the zone for compost collection by bike from Reclaimed Organics.