The 4 Ways to Compost in NYC — And the Pros and Cons of Each
If you live in New York City and want to compost, this article is for you.
I will talk about the Department of Sanitation programs, (there are two), community compost options, and ideas to DIY compost yourself even in your small apartment.
There are pros and cons to each option. I’ll give my recommendation based on your situation.
I’ve composted my entire life and helped start a community compost program in my neighborhood in the Bronx.
On behalf of the community garden where I volunteer, I’ve given presentations on compost education to help my neighbors keep their food waste out of the landfill.
I’ve talked with dozens (maybe hundreds) of New Yorkers at this point about composting, and have been the boots-on-the-ground volunteer support that I know is necessary if we’re going to shift our culture to see the value of food scraps as a natural part of earth’s cycle.
Here are all of the ways you can compost in New York City. I have these in order of convenience, not quality.
Summary of the 4 Ways to Compost in New York City (tl;dr)
1) The Orange Smart Bins. Simple, convenient, and available for you right now.
2) The Curbside Composting program. Even more convenient, but most buildings haven’t set it up yet.
3) Community Composting. The best for local environmental stewardship. Check the drop-off locations and see if there’s one near you.
4) Compost in your tiny apartment. Kind of hardcore, but I’ll give some suggestions for how to do so with limited space.
1) The Orange “Smart Bins”
This is the best option if you’re looking to compost like… right now.
This is a Department of Sanitation program. They have these “Smart Bins” around most parts of the city to collect food scraps and yard waste.
The Exact Steps to Use the Smart Bins
1) Download the NYC Compost app.
2) Find the nearest bin to you. Hopefully it’s just a few blocks away.
3) Bring your food scraps with you
4) Tap “Unlock Bin” on the app when you’re next to it.
5) Put in your food scraps and move on with your life.
The Benefits of the Orange Smart Bins: Convenience and They Accept Everything
You don’t have to do the composting. You just need to find a bin. You can go use these right now.
Second, they accept more than backyard composting often does.
- All food scraps, including meat. Many composting programs don’t take meat. The Smart Bins do.
- All industrially compostable items. You know those “compostable” bags, cups you get from boujie coffee shops, or “compostable packaging?” Well, all of that you can leave in the Smart Bin.
The Downside of the Orange Smart Bins: Not True Composting
With any form of composting where you’re not the one managing the compost, I ask: where are these food scraps going and what’s happening to them?
The Department of Sanitation does not mention this on its website, so I had to do some digging and research. Here’s what I’ve uncovered.
(A lot of this comes from an interview I did with Pam Alvarez for a piece of local journalism in the Bronx. Pam works with a program called Bronx Green-Up, part of the New York Botanical Garden, which supports community composting efforts. She was instrumental in helping us set up community composting in the Bronx.)
80% of the Smart Bin food scraps go to Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. There, it goes through a process called “Anaerobic Digestion.”
Anaerobic digestion is… not exactly composting.
As Pam explained, “At Newtown Creek, food scraps are mixed with sewage sludge (human waste) in an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment. This process, called co-digestion, produces two byproducts: biogas (methane) and digestate (the residual material). Approximately 60% of the methane is captured and converted into energy to power homes. However, the remaining 40% is flared, or burned, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere—a process no better than landfilling in terms of emissions.”
Why do I say this isn’t really composting? Because it doesn’t produce soil. It also has some serious downsides. First, it’s inefficient. 40% of it gets burned. Second, the digestate by-product can be used as a fertilizer, but if it runs off into water sources or other natural environments, it contaminates the area. Third, it requires a slough of industrial, polluting infrastructure, from the trucks to the digestors.
I write more about this process and its downsides in this article.
What about the other 20%? That goes to the Fresh Kills composting site on Staten Island. There, it goes through a composting process called “aerated static pile.”
In this process, food scraps are placed in large piles. They pump in oxygen through a system of pipes. This speeds up decomposition. However, as Pam explains, it’s lower-quality compost than community composting.
It’s a Convenient, Available Option That’s Better Than the Landfill
Overall, both locations are better than the landfill.
Anaerobic digestion replaces the need for natural gas, which keeps fracked gas in the ground. At Staten Island, the city turns food waste into soil, even if it’s not as high quality.
As Pam told me, “Any program to divert organic waste from landfills is a step in the right direction.”
2) NYC Curbside Composting
In October 2024, New York City launched its “Curbside Composting” programs citywide. This is the other Department of Sanitation program.
This is the most convenient option, and depending on where you live, it may already be available.
It’s simple: just as you drop off your trash and compost, your building can have a bin for you to leave your compost.
Once a week, on the same day as recycling day, the Department of Sanitation will haul off your compost. You don’t even have to take your compost outside.
The core benefit of this is obvious. It’s right in your building.
Even Though It’s “Mandatory” Most Buildings Don’t Participate
As I write this in January 2025, the DSNY still refers to this as a “rollout period.” Most buildings haven’t gotten a compost bin, let alone educated residents that it’s available and what to do. Eventually, they will start to issue fines.
How to Get a Curbside Compost Bin
If you’re a landlord, you can get the bins at bins.nyc. If you’re not a landlord, you can try messaging your building manager and ask them to get one and tell them that fines are coming.
I have a journalism piece on the challenges of the curbside compost program coming out soon, which I’ll link once it’s published.
As this pertains to you, if your building doesn’t have it set up right now and you’re not a landlord then it’s a useless program.
I’ve been trying to get my building to set it up, with no success. I’m working with our tenants’ association now.
If it’s not set up, this can be a lot of work. If you are willing to do some work, then I recommend finding a community compost program.
Where Does The Curbside Compost Go?
Curbside compost goes to the same two places as the orange Smart Bins: Newtown Creek in Brooklyn and Fresh Kills on Staten Island. It has the same drawbacks.
3) Find a Community Composting Option
This option produces the highest quality compost. It’s the best for our local communities and for restoring soil health to New York’s green spaces. It’s the best option if you’re dedicated to environmental stewardship. This is what I personally do.
“Community composting” is a broad term. I count this as any compost bin where it’s not just you. It includes your neighbors. This can also include dedicated programs, often funded by the city. I’ll talk about some of these options next.
The Unique Benefits of Community Composting
- Highest Quality Outcomes Community composting is true, low-tech composting. You gather your food scraps. You assess if you have enough greens vs browns. You turn the pile every once in a while. And within a few months, you have microorganism-rich, nutrient-dense soil for local gardens and green spaces.
- Multiplying Efforts “Community” is the keyword here. It’s not just you. You’ll be composting yourself and invite your neighbors to join.
- Built-In Education on Composting When you have a community compost bin, anybody can see the process. They too can learn about the greens vs browns and feel the lush, moist finished product that will help plants grow. Community composting and education about environmental stewardship go hand-in-hand.
Now let’s get into the various options.
3.1) Find a Drop-Off Through Programs Like Big Reuse and the LES Ecology Center
There are several city-sponsored community compost programs where you can drop off your food scraps.
Big Reuse (Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx)
Big Reuse has a program where you can drop off your scraps at one of their locations. They’ll turn it into high-quality compost, and then they’ll give you finished compost once it’s done. They do incredible work.
Learn more about Big Reuse’s community composting and drop-off locations.
LES Ecology Center (Manhattan, Mostly East Side)
The Lower East Side Ecology Center is the longest-running community composting program in the city. They’ve been doing this since 1990.
They have drop-offs at various farmers’ markets and other sites.
Head to the LES Ecology Center page to find a drop-off site.
Hudson River Park Drop-Offs (Manhattan, West Side)
If you live on Manhattan’s West Side, Hudson River Park has compost drop-off sites too.
I’m less familiar with this program and their methods. (If you use them and learn their process, please let me know!)
(Last year, Eric Adams in 2024 cut a lot of community compost funding. GrowNYC has had to permanently close several drop-off sites. This is a huge loss. Yes, it means fewer sites. More importantly, community composting groups are the ones that do the educating. The DSNY doesn’t do much direct education on how to compost. It’s the ordinary people a part of programs like Big Reuse. With less funding for these programs, that means less education, which means all composting methods in NYC take a hit.)
3.2) Ask At Your Nearest Farmer’s Market
Even if it’s not an “official” community compost program, if you buy produce at a farmers market, ask. They may accept your food scraps.
3.3) Head to Your Nearest Community Garden
This is what I did. There are hundreds of community gardens throughout New York City and a lot of them already compost.
Community gardens aren’t always open, since they’re 100% volunteer-run. Your best bet is to swing by on a weekend and scope it out.
The garden closest to me did not have composting. So… we started composting.
3.4) Start Your Own Community Composting Program
“Program” makes this sound very official. In reality, it wasn’t. We just got a bin together and started.
Basically, you need a space like a community garden, you need a bin, and you need neighbors. Learn more here.
The Challenges of Community Composting
You may be lucky and have a convenient drop-off super close. In which case you’re set. But in most cases, it takes some dedication. You have to go to a specific place at a specific time.
Or if you do what I do, you’re managing the actual compost efforts. Every week, I go to the compost bin in the community garden. I crush up the food scraps, turn the pile, and if necessary add some browns.
However, the payoff is well worth it. Not only have I found the perfect home for my food scraps that will enrich the Bronx soil, but I’ve also been able to encourage others to add their food scraps to it, multiplying the benefits.
It also took a good amount of up-front work. We had to come together, get the bin, and make sure it was rat-proof.
The other downside is that you won’t want meat in these. It can make it smell and attract critters. You also won’t want compostable bags, forks, or other “compostable” packaging.
It eventually will compost, but it takes so long and it is a pain. If you’re hardcore like me, keep your meat scraps and compostable bags in your freezer, then take it to an orange bin.
But community composting is the option that enriches your local soil and keep your food scraps local to begin with. It requires no trucks and no industrial facilities.
4) Compost In Your Tiny Apartment
Finally, you could compost in your apartment. Maybe you’re used to composting on your own, but are struggling with how to do it in a smaller NYC space. If you have a backyard (lucky you), then you can compost like normal, (with a few rat-proof measures.) Get a compost bin, make sure it gets some sun, and get composting.
Rooftop Compost or Other Common Area
Before composting within the confines of your small apartment, consider the rooftop or other common areas.
Rooftops get a lot of sun, so they’re perfect for composting. It also can make it collaborative with your neighbors.
Many buildings have other areas where composting could make sense. For example, my old studio apartment had the trash room outside the back door. You could put a compost bin there, in theory.
For these, you’ll need to talk to your landlord. That’s the downside. But the upside is it’s not in your apartment, and you can get your neighbors composting too.
Composting on Your Balcony
There are a lot of different options.
- Tumblers. Tumblers aren’t messy, they’re easy to move, and don’t take up much space. Ideal for balconies in my opinion.
- Vermicomposting. This is composting that involves worms. They speed up the process. Instead of months, you’re talking about weeks. They also work better if it’s colder where you live. (But not too cold, or they’ll freeze and die.) I’ll leave you to do some research on vermicomposting.
Compost Inside Your NYC Apartment
I’ve never done this (my girlfriend would break up with me if I did), but here are my recommendations based on my composting experience.
Bokashi composting
On paper, I think it’s the best for inside a small New York apartment. You use an airtight bin (search for “bokashi bins”) then you add “Bokashi bran.” Food scraps plus Bokashi bran lead to a fermentation process. In 2-4 weeks you’ll have a finished product that’s not quite compost. You can add it to existing soil or a bigger compost bin.
It helps compact all of your food scraps so it’s great if you just don’t want to find a compost drop-off every week. It also doesn’t smell and you keep it sealed, which makes it a good indoor option. You can even add meat.
But you have to keep buying the brand and figure out what to do with the finished product.
Vermicomposting
I’m not sure how you feel about having worms as roommates, but they’ll speed it up and allow you to churn out the compost. Worms also do well at room temperature.
Electric Composters like Lomi and Mill
I don’t like these at all. I think they’re a rip-off. However, if you have money to spend and want something bougie, look into it.
These “electric composters” are connected to wifi and everything. You put your food scraps in and they grind them up. They use some heat and pressure, which can mimic what they do at Fresh Kill in Staten Island on a smaller scale.
The end product is not quite compost. It’s more like grounded-up food scraps.
Some companies give you the option to ship them the grounds, where they take care of it. But if you’re shipping food scraps, you’re already lessening the environmental benefits of this entire process.
You can also take care of the scraps on your own accord, but you’ll need to find another place for them to properly decompose into compost before using them in a garden. In which case, why not properly compost to begin with?
They’re also really expensive and even can require subscriptions. They do look cool. And they don’t smell. So they solve a few challenges with indoor composting.
Let Me Know How Your Composting Goes!
I’ve been on a mission lately to show New Yorkers that composting doesn’t have to take that much effort, especially once it’s a habit. So if there’s anything I can do to help you compost and figure out the best option for you, please feel free to shoot me a message. I will deadass hop on the subway and scope out your neighborhood to find a community option if that’s what it takes!
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