Failure to compost comes with a fine in Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s New York City.
On his first day in office, Mamdani’s administration quietly began fining New Yorkers for not separating their organic waste for compost collection.
The fines, which start at $25, were paused by then-Mayor Eric Adams last year, only weeks after they went into effect. Sanitation department data shows that participation in the city’s composting program actually declined after Adams halted the fines for small buildings. Overall, New Yorkers are still not composting in large numbers, with more than 90% of organic waste still going to landfills.
Sanitation department spokesperson Joshua Goodman said that inspectors had issued 425 summonses for failure to compost since Mamdani took office, with very few doled out during the snowstorm. The resumption of fines was first reported by Inside Climate News.
“New Yorkers want to compost. If your building doesn't, call 311 so we can come advise them on how to comply,” Goodman said.
Sanitation officials can inspect garbage waste for organic waste that should have been separated. Fines can go as high as $200 for repeat offenders. Landlords of both small and large buildings can be fined for failure to participate.
The rollout of the city’s compost collection program was completed in 2024. The brown bins represented a signature policy achievement of the Adams administration, which launched a “war on rats” to clean up the streets and sidewalks.
Adams’ decision to pause composting fines for buildings with 30 or fewer units in spring 2025 came as he sought re-election. His administration said the fines would go back into effect in 2026.
The composting program was a signature achievement of then-Mayor Adams' administration.
Compliance with the composting rules is low across the board, though some boroughs do worse than others. Last month, sanitation workers retrieved 2,484 tons of compost from residents in Queens. Brooklyn residents composted 2,108 tons and Manhattan residents set out 1,176 tons. People in the Bronx set out just 730 tons — only slightly more than Staten Island, which contributed 648 tons.
Last month, 94% of organic waste across the five boroughs went to the landfill — only 6% was composted, city data showed. In the weeks after composting fines briefly went into effect last spring, 10% of organics were composted. Sanitation officials highlighted that composting declined last month in part due to officials dedicating manpower to the snowstorm, causing a major lag in collections.
Eric Goldstein, New York City environment director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said that lagging composting rates are evidence of the need for sustained outreach about the program and its enforcement policies.
“Stopping and starting these programs that require public engagement is never a successful strategy because you're sending mixed messages,” he said.
Goldstein said that Mamdani has an opportunity to save the city money if he sticks with the composting program.
“ We're spending almost $500 million a year exporting our trash to landfills and incinerators,” he said.
“So if we can take even 50% of that third and turn it into a useful finished compost. We will be saving money for city taxpayers on top of the environmental benefits.”
