Composting

Food scraps, spoiled food, food-soiled paper, and yard trimmings and plants – collectively known as organics or organic waste – comprise almost one-third of the waste that the NYC Department of Sanitation collects. Composting food scraps is a great way to minimize waste and your carbon footprint, while helping to create a natural fertilizer that can be used to help grow food. Separate your organics for composting to enrich our environment, not damage it.

Learn more about composting in New York City

The DSNY Organics Collection pilot program currently serves more than 130,000 households in all five boroughs. Read more about the pilot program and how to enroll. 

The NYC Compost Project helps to reduce waste in NYC and rebuild City soils by giving New Yorkers the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to produce and use compost. Learn more about composting, and find a food waste drop-off site near you.

Donating

In March 2019, The Department of Sanitation’s donateNYC program launched its food donation portal, the first municipally-developed food recovery platform of its kind. The portal aims to reduce the amount of edible food sent to landfills while supporting the City’s robust food rescue and redistribution infrastructure. The food portal’s matching algorithm connects donor organizations with excess edible food to the nearest recipients that can accept it. The food portal supports recurring hyper-local donations, increasing the positive neighborhood impacts of food donation. Visit the Department of Sanitation’s website to explore the food portal.