Expanded Organics Recycling Program Begins Next Week

The expanded organic waste recycling pilot program starts in our area on Monday, May 19, on your regular garbage days. You’ll now be able to leave organic materials such as food waste, food-soiled paper, and yard waste at the curb, and the Department of Sanitation will collect them twice a week.

New York City Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia joined Councilmember Brad Lander at his home in the neighborhood today to launch the program.

“We are happy to have Councilmember Lander and his neighbors as the newest participants in this program,” she said. “Organic materials make up about a third of our trash, and we spend millions of dollars every year to send it to out-of-state landfills. We hope our organic collection program will not only reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, but also create renewable energy or compost, a natural fertilizer.”

This spring, the roll-out of the voluntary program will expand to include 70,000 additional households around the city.

“I applaud the DSNY for their ambitious efforts, and I am very excited to be here today with Commissioner Garcia to receive my own bin,” said Councilember Lander. “I look forward to seeing compost collection expand across the entire city and I encourage all my Park Slope neighbors to join me in participating. Together we can dramatically reduce the amount of trash we are putting into landfills.”

Single-family homes and buildings with nine or fewer residential units have probably already received started kits introducing the program, but if you get your bin after the first pick-up, wait until you have a bin before you leave organics curbside.

As for what goes into the brown bins, “if it grows, it goes” in — including meat and bones. Here’s a list of what can and can’t be collected. If you want to line your bin (you don’t have to), you can find local compostable bag retailers here.

Photo via Councilmember Lander’s office