New York City’s curbside composting rules require every residential building in all five boroughs to separate food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste from regular trash for weekly pickup on your recycling day. The mandate became fully enforceable after the grace period ended on April 1, 2025, and violations are issued to the property owner, with fines that scale by building size.1NYC311. Curbside Composting
What Goes in the Bin
Three categories are accepted. Food scraps of every kind: fruit and vegetable trimmings, coffee grounds, meat, bones, shells, dairy, and leftover prepared food. Food-soiled paper: greasy pizza boxes, uncoated paper plates, paper towels, and napkins, as long as the paper has no wax or plastic coating. And yard waste: grass, leaves, flowers, small branches, garden trimmings, houseplants, and Christmas trees.2New York City Department of Sanitation. Curbside Composting
Products labeled or certified compostable, including BPI-certified bags, cups, and containers, are also accepted in the brown bin. This is a change from earlier guidance and catches many residents off guard.2New York City Department of Sanitation. Curbside Composting
What Stays Out
Anything that isn’t food, food-soiled paper, or yard waste doesn’t belong in the compost bin. That rules out regular trash like wrappers and foam, all recyclables (metal, glass, plastic, clean cardboard), medical waste, personal hygiene products, diapers, and pet waste. Those all go in regular garbage.2New York City Department of Sanitation. Curbside Composting
Cooking oil and liquid grease are a frequent mistake. They should never go in the compost bin or down the drain. The Department of Environmental Protection recommends pouring cooled grease into a disposable container, labeling it “Cooking Oil—Not for Recycling,” and putting it out with regular garbage. You can also bag and freeze cooled oil before discarding it.3New York City Department of Environmental Protection. Disposing of Grease at Home Wiping pans with a paper towel first is fine, and those greasy towels do go in the compost bin.
Bins, Bags, and Labels
You have two container options. DSNY provides one official brown bin per building at no cost, and residents in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island can order one through the DSNY site.4New York City Department of Sanitation. Order a Brown Bin Or you can use your own bin, provided it holds 55 gallons or less, has a secure lid, and displays a composting label. DSNY offers a downloadable label to print and attach.5New York City Department of Sanitation. Curbside Composting FAQ
For liners, use clear plastic bags, paper bags, or compostable bags.6New York City Department of Sanitation. NYC Bin FAQ Opaque black trash bags are not accepted, because sanitation workers need to be able to identify the contents. Yard waste that won’t fit in a bin can be placed at the curb in large paper lawn bags. Bundle small branches and twigs with twine.
When to Put It Out
Composting is collected on the same day as your recycling, every week. Look up your day on the DSNY site or NYC 311 by entering your address.1NYC311. Curbside Composting
Set-out times differ by container type:
- Bins with secure lids may go out after 6:00 PM the evening before collection.
- Paper lawn bags of yard waste placed directly on the curb may go out after 8:00 PM the evening before collection.
Everything must be at the curb by midnight to be collected.1NYC311. Curbside Composting Food scraps can be mixed with yard waste only inside a bin with a secure lid; loose bags of food scraps on the sidewalk are not allowed. Position the compost bin clearly apart from regular trash and recycling so sanitation workers can identify it.
Fines
Sanitation inspectors check residential curbs and issue violations when compostable material is found mixed with regular trash. Fines depend on building size and prior offenses.7New York City Department of Sanitation. Collection Laws for Residents
Buildings with 1 to 8 units:
- First offense: $25
- Second offense: $50
- Third and subsequent offenses: $100
Buildings with 9 or more units:
- First offense: $100
- Second offense: $200
- Third and subsequent offenses: $300
Summonses go to the property owner, not to individual tenants. That’s a significant point for landlords and managing agents, who bear the cost of tenant behavior across every unit.
The city partially paused enforcement of some composting fines shortly after the April 2025 rollout, and the mayor’s office has said all composting fines will resume in 2026. During the interim, buildings with 30 or more units that receive more than four warnings are already subject to $100 fines.
Contesting a Ticket
Composting summonses are adjudicated by the city’s Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. You can pay before the hearing date, or request a hearing by phone, in person, online, or by mail. The date printed on the summons is the deadline that matters: miss it and you’ll be found in violation by default, often at a higher amount.8New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Hearings and Defaults Phone hearings must be requested at least three business days ahead, and in-person hearings need at least five business days’ email notice. Mark the calendar the day the summons arrives.
Drop-Off Options
Curbside pickup is not the only route. The city runs smart composting bins, the orange ones located across all five boroughs, that accept food scraps, food-soiled paper, and plant waste 24/7. You unlock them with the free NYC Compost app.9New York City Department of Sanitation. Food Scrap Drop-off Staffed food scrap drop-off sites also operate at community locations on set schedules, accepting the same materials. Check the DSNY map before heading out, since hours change.
Drop-off doesn’t replace the requirement to separate compostable material at the building. It’s useful for overflow between pickups, or when a building doesn’t yet have its brown bin in place.