Curbside Composting is currently available in Queens and in select Community Boards in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.

If Curbside Composting is not available in your neighborhood, you are encouraged to bring food scraps to a drop-off location. Visit nyc.gov/dropfoodscraps to find one near you.

You can look up the Community Board for your address on the Community Boards page.

Bronx

• Community Board 8 (Kingsbridge, Riverdale)

Brooklyn

• Community Board 1 (Williamsburg, Greenpoint)
• Community Board 2 (DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Heights)
• Community Board 6 (Red Hook, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope)
• Community Board 7 (Sunset Park, Industry City, Windsor Terrace, South Slope)

Manhattan

• Community Board 6 (Stuy Town & Peter Cooper Village, Midtown East, Murray Hill)
• Community Board 7 (Manhattan Valley, Upper West Side, Lincoln Square)

Queens

• All Queens residents receive service. No sign-up is required.

Staten Island

• There are currently no plans to expand the service to Staten Island.

Curbside Composting Sign-up

Residents in select Community Boards currently receiving service must sign up online or by phone.

Anyone can sign up for Curbside Composting in these Community Boards. However, for a building of 10+ units, the Department of Sanitation requires communication with an authorized building representative (property manager or agent, superintendent, building owner co-op board member or president). Provide their contact information when you sign up, and the agency will reach out to them directly.

Online

Sign up for Curbside Composting.

By Phone

The Curbside Composting collection schedule for your home is based on your address.

Suspensions may occur for a City holiday or during a snowstorm.

Place your labeled bin or bag curbside between 4 PM and midnight the evening before your compost pickup day.

• If your pickup is before 4 PM, you must retrieve your bin by 9 PM.
• If your pickup is after 4 PM, you must retrieve your bin by 9 AM the following morning.

Items Accepted

Food Waste

• Food scraps
• Coffee grounds and tea bags
• Shells (seafood, nut, and egg)
• Bones
• Spoiled and expired food
• Food-soiled paper (napkins, towels, uncoated plates, bags, trays, or boxes)

Yard Waste

• Leaves
• Grass
• Small twigs and branches
• House plants and flowers
• Hay bales

Items Not Accepted

• Trash, including
  • Diapers and hygienic products
  • Animal waste or kitty litter
  • Wrappers and packaging
  • Foam products
• Recyclables, including
  • Metal
  • Glass
  • Plastic
  • Beverage cartons
  • Clean recyclable paper
  • Cardboard

How to properly dispose of:

• Leaf and Yard Waste: Put in a labeled bin or bag separate from the trash.
• Food Scraps and Food-Soiled Paper Products: Put in a bin (max: 55 gallons) with a secure lid.
  • Label bin with a free Composting Bin Decal – order at nyc.gov/CompostingBinDecal. 
  • You may line your labeled bin with a plastic or paper bag.

If you previously received compost collection, you can use the brown bin you already have.

The Department of Sanitation is no longer providing replacement brown bins for residents who previously received a bin from the City.

Brown Bins for Queens Residents

Queens residents were able to order a free brown bin through October 15, 2022. Brown bins were delivered automatically to all Queens residential buildings with 10 or more units.

In general, there is no collection on sanitation holidays, but that is subject to change. You can check back near the date of the holiday to confirm the collection schedule.

Usually:

• If a holiday occurs on your trash or compost collection day, put your items out after 4 PM that day for collection beginning the next day.
• If a holiday occurs on your recycling collection day, put your items out after 4 PM the day before your next scheduled recycling collection day.

Visit the Thanksgiving Day page to get the collection schedule for the upcoming holiday.

2022 Sanitation Holidays

In general, there is no collection on sanitation holidays, but that is subject to change. You can check back near the date of the holiday to confirm the collection schedule.

Usually:

• If a holiday occurs on your trash or compost collection day, put your items out after 4 PM that day for collection beginning the next day.
• If a holiday occurs on your recycling collection day, put your items out after 4 PM the day before your next scheduled recycling collection day.

2023 Sanitation Holidays