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Get Compost
NYC residents, nonprofit organizations, and agencies can get free, high-quality compost made from the leaf and yard waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper we collect.
Commercial landscapers and other businesses can purchase compost in bulk. Learn more about purchasing compost, mulch, and woodchips for professional use.
Residents
We collect your food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste, and turn it into compost – then give it back.
We operate Compost Giveback Sites from April to September. We also hold Pop-Up Community Giveback Events throughout the City.
Compost Giveback Sites
Our compost giveback sites are closed for the season. Check back in the spring for the 2026 locations and schedules.
Pop-Up Community Giveback Events
DSNY's pop-up community giveback events have ended for the season. Check back in the spring for 2026 locations and schedules.
NYC Agencies and Nonprofits
We give free compost and mulch to NYC agencies and nonprofits for their programs, construction, or landscaping projects.
Private vendors may pick up compost and mulch on behalf of City agencies. Agencies must first provide certification verifying the vendor is:
- Contracted to work with the agency on a project, and
- Not charging the agency for the compost or mulch.
Download a sample verification letter.
Bulk Compost and Mulch Pick-Up
Compost, mulch, and woodchips are available in bulk for pickup at our Staten Island Compost Facility and our Soundview Compost Facility.
Request a bulk compost or mulch appointment
Bagged Compost Pallet Deliveries
We deliver bagged compost to nonprofit organizations and city agencies each spring.
We deliver pallets of free compost between April and September to:
- NYC agencies
- Nonprofit organizations
- NYC community gardens
- Street tree care volunteer organizations
Each bag of compost weighs approximately 40 lbs, and each pallet contains 60 bags (2,400 lbs total).
Delivery Requirements
Your delivery location must meet the following requirements:
- The delivery entrance must be at least 10 ft wide and have an overhead clearance of 10 ft.
- Your street's width, parking and traffic conditions must allow for a 40 ft truck with forklift to safely unload pallets. If our drivers arrive at your location and determine the conditions are not safe for unloading pallets and/or do not meet location requirements, they will leave without completing the delivery.
You may be asked to provide additional documentation for us to verify your eligibility.
A member of your team MUST be on site IN PERSON to receive the delivery, otherwise your site will be removed from our list and will not receive another delivery opportunity in 2026.
Requesting a Delivery
- You may only submit one request per site each calendar year.
- The maximum quantity of pallets you can request is 2.
- Submitting a request does not guarantee you will receive a compost delivery.
- Your delivery date may be scheduled for several months in the future.
- We cannot accept requests for specific delivery dates.
If your site meets eligibility requirements, you will be notified by email with an approximate delivery window. You will be contacted later by both phone and email with specifics about your delivery date and time.