In an effort to reduce excess methane production, New York City is enacting a mandatory composting program. Despite lofty goals to help alleviate rising energy costs, the measure will fine buildings that refuse to participate.
What's happening?
As reported by Inside Climate News, New York City has resumed enforcing its mandatory, citywide composting program. To ensure full participation, the city will be implementing fines for buildings that fail to separate organic waste from trash.
According to the New York City Department of Sanitation, all residential buildings are now required to separate food scraps, food-soiled containers, and yard waste from regular trash receptacles. Failure to comply will result in fines ranging from $25 for first offenses to $300 to third and subsequent offenses.
Fines for noncompliance first began back in April 2025. However, then-Mayor Eric Adams opted to halt enforcement of the majority of these fines after just a few weeks. Once Mayor Zohran Mamdani was sworn into office in January 2026, the city soon reenacted the financial penalties.
Why is a curbside composting program important?
The composting initiative aims to help reduce the amount of methane gas pollution in local landfills. Methane has been linked as one of the biggest contributors to rising global temperatures.
Although buildings that fail to comply may quickly rack up hundreds of dollars in fines, experts say that the move goes well beyond just making a buck or two for the city. Samantha MacBride, a former director of research and operations for New York City's sanitation department, noted that the real benefits will take time to develop.
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"There's a lot more than just writing tickets that needs to be done to make this program solid and work in the long run," MacBride told Inside Climate News.
Collected waste will either be processed into nutrient-rich soil for parks and gardens or sent to the treatment facilities to be converted into renewable natural gas. This sustainable resource could help drive down skyrocketing energy prices.
What's being done to help raise awareness about the program?
Vincent Gragnani, press secretary for the New York City Department of Sanitation, noted that the mandatory program may come with a learning curve for some in the city.
"We know that this involves a significant change in people's behavior, and that these changes take time," Gragnani said, per Inside Climate News.
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$200 or more 💰 Despite the expected stumbles, MacBride explained that there may be a way to best help New York City residents. By incorporating the community angle into the composting program, residents could potentially see the fruits of their labor as a price worth paying.
"The best way to share the positive benefits of separating your organics and the positive motivations that come with that, in my opinion, is through community-based experiences with composting," MacBride said. "A person brings their food scraps to drop off, they see the compost process, they see kids and young people gaining skills that can be very marketable."
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