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A group of NYC councilmembers push to end composting mandate days after it began
By
Liam Quigley
Published Apr 10, 2025
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Liam Quigley
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Liam Quigley
Published Apr 10, 2025
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Several New York City lawmakers want to kick the sanitation department’s composting mandate to the curb.
The City Council’s conservative-leaning “Common Sense Caucus” introduced legislation on Thursday that would get rid of the fines imposed on property owners who fail to separate their organic waste from the rest of their garbage.
The sanitation department started issuing those summonses at the start of the month — and more than 1,800 landlords received a ticket for the violation during the first week of enforcement.
The legislation would take the teeth out of the city’s composting program, making participation voluntary instead of mandatory. The bill only has the backing of the seven-member Common Sense Caucus, which gives it little chance of passing, but its introduction highlights an anger among some lawmakers who say it’s unfair for the sanitation department to ticket people for failing to compost.
“ I do not hate composting,” said Republican Councilmember Joann Ariola, who represents parts of Queens. “I don't like mandates, and people who want to compost should be able to compost and those who don't should not be made to compost, especially when it is a policy that is destined for failure.”
Ariola said residents have been forced to buy compost bins only to find them stolen, and that the once-weekly pickups of the organic waste leads to putrid conditions for homeowners.
“ People are opening the bucket up and finding maggots inside of the bucket. It's just not working,” she said. “Also, we have a whole new level of theft. You know porch pirates, now we have garbage pail pirates.”
Sanitation spokesperson Joshua Goodman argues composting helps the environment, and the program diverted 2.5 million pounds of organic waste from landfills in the first week of enforcement.
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new york city
Politics
sanitation
Liam Quigley
Liam Quigley is a reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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