The New York City Department of Sanitation announced that residents have smashed composting records three weeks in a row, separating and setting out 6,062,000 pounds of food and yard waste in one alone, topping the two previous weeks, where residents set out 6 million pounds and 5.9 million pounds. The success of the nation’s largest and easiest curbside composting program shows that if you make it easy for New Yorkers to fight rats and help the environment, they will do it week after week.
DSNY picks up all leaf and yard waste, food scraps and food-soiled paper from every resident on recycling day. This includes meat, bones, shells, dairy, cooked foods and even greasy uncoated paper plates and pizza boxes – as well as fall leaves and holiday trees. No sign-up is required, and residents can use any bin 55 gallons or less with a secure lid, with or without a paper, compostable or clear plastic liner.
Material collected in DSNY’s curbside composting program is either turned into finished compost for parks and gardens, or into renewable energy to heat local homes and businesses reducing the need for fracked gas. This year alone, DSNY gave away more than 8 million pounds of finished compost to residents through a network of four regular giveback sites and dozens of popup events across the five boroughs.
Since curbside composting went citywide last October, Staten Islanders have produced the most compostable material per capita – roughly 1 pound per person, per week – while Queens residents have produced the most compostable material overall, more than 61 million pounds total in the first year.
The 6,062,000 pounds of material collected during the week of November 16 to 22 tops the 6,025,480 pounds set out during the week of November 9 to 15, which tops the 5.9 million pounds collected during the week of November 2 to 8. These totals smashed previous records set in the spring:
- During the second week of April, the department collected nearly 3.6 million pounds of compost, more than three times what was collected at the same time last year and, at the time, the highest level of separated compostable material collected curbside in the City’s history.
- That record was broken by the third week, at 4.5 million pounds, a 400 percent increase over the same time the year before.
- That record was broken by the fourth week, at 5.24 million pounds, a 500 percent increase over the same time the year before.
- New Yorkers broke that record during the week of May 18 to 24, when they set out 5.4 million pounds of compostable material.
With leaf season well underway, DSNY reminds New Yorkers that extra leaf and yard waste can be put in a paper lawn and leaf bag or clear plastic bag. Twigs and branches can be bundled with twine and placed next to bins and bags.
Published December 2025