Clean & Green Schools

All NYC schools, both public and private, are crucial to keeping our city clean, safe, and healthy.

We work closely with NYC Public Schools (NYCPS) to implement best practices for school recycling and sustainable waste management.

ALL schools must meet DSNY guidelines and NYC Public Schools regulations for setting out and separating trash and recycling.

Read our NYC Guide to Clean & Green Schools to learn how to set up your school for waste management compliance.

School Compost Giveback

NYC schools can receive high-quality compost for free!

We collect yard waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper from residents and schools through our Curbside Composting program and turn it into nutrient-rich compost. Compost can be used for gardening and tree planting on school grounds.

Registration for this year's School Compost Giveback Program is now closed.

Has your school received our compost in the past? Are you interested in receiving compost in the future? Submit your feedback by taking a short survey and help us improve and shape future compost giveback opportunities.

Take DSNY's School Compost Giveback Program Interest Survey

Clean & Green Schools Training

We offer a FREE training course to staff at schools that receive our service.

The Clean Buildings Training: Clean & Green Schools is designed to help building staff maintain a clean building through best waste management and recycling practices.

Find out more about our training sessions for schools.

Clean & Green Schools Awards

The Clean & Green Schools Awards is a recognition-based award program for NYC Public School Custodial Engineers and their teams. These awards recognize and celebrate custodians who are crucial to the success of keeping NYC schools clean and reducing waste to landfills.

Submissions can come from both individuals and groups, including:

• School Green Teams
• Principals and school leadership
• Community and parent groups
• NYCPS Director of Facilities and/or Deputy Director of Facilities
• Non-profits: GrowNYC, Material for the Arts (MFTA), etc.
• NYCPS's Office of Energy and Sustainability staff

Nominate a Custodian Today!

For more information, contact schools@dsny.nyc.gov