On Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch revealed the city’s composting program—which has taken hold in fits and starts over the years—is expanding to the entire borough of Queens come October.
Adams revealed the plan will cost the city approximately $2 million in additional funding and will include providing residents who want them with composting bins for organic yard waste and food scraps.
“This will make New York City home to the largest curbside composting program in the nation,” Adams said.
“We’re going to lead the way in fighting climate change, but we have to act in ways that are smart, targeted, and cost-efficient,” Adams added.
According to the report, with the population of Queens at around 2.2 million residents, the new program will cost the city less than $1 per person in additional city funding.
Based on the plan, residents will receive composting bins from the city for free upon request, and buildings with 10 apartments or more will be “proactively” supplied with the bins.
Residents can also use any bin they want for compostable material they bring to the curb — as long as it has a cover so rats can’t get in.
Tisch revealed weekly pick-ups of compostable materials in Queens are expected to begin on October 3 — right in time for the fall when many residents will be raking up and tossing out fallen leaves. City officials noted that the borough is home to 41% of the city’s street trees.
Tisch added that the free bins would be available to Queens residents starting October 1.
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