If you live in New York City, government employees will start digging through your garbage today. And if you have something that isn't supposed to be there, you'll get a fine of at least $25. This isn't an April Fool's Day joke.
What kind of trash can contraband are they looking for? The usual. Food scraps; yard waste, like raked leaves; coffee grounds; paper towels used to clean up food; pizza boxes but only certain kinds.…
It all stems from a new mandate that the city council passed in 2023 that requires residents of all five NYC boroughs to participate in a mandatory composting program. While the new rule went into effect in October, the city announced that as of April 1, 2025, it will be cracking down on people who don't comply.
The goal is to "save the planet" and help cut back on the city's rat infestation, but the reality is that, so far, it seems to be attracting more rats, and, well, I'll let you be the judge on the saving the planet bit. From Gothamist:
Rotting organic waste dumped in landfills is generally bad for the environment. As it breaks down, it releases methane into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change.
Sanitation officials said the city’s program produces “finished” compost that can be repurposed in city green spaces. They also said separating food scraps from regular garbage helps fight the city’s rat infestation by reducing the rodents’ food source.
If you visit the government website, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY), which has created a "team of inspectors," has all sorts of "disposal rules" on when and how to do your composting. Here are a few of them.
Food Waste
All food waste (food scraps and food-soiled paper) must be placed in any labeled bin (55 gallons or less) with a secure lid or in your DSNY brown bin.
Line your bin with a clear plastic, paper, or compostable bag to help keep it clean. Tie the bag closed before putting the bin on the curb for collection.
Leaf and Yard Waste
Place in any labeled bin (55 gallons or less) with a secure lid or in your DSNY brown bin, paper lawn and leaf bags, or clear plastic bags.
Bundle twigs and branches with twine and place on curb next to bins or bags.
Mixing Food and Yard Waste
You can mix food waste with leaf and yard waste only if you are using a bin with a secure lid.
And in news that shocks no one, it has an even bigger, more complicated section on the number and types of fines you'll receive for not bowing down to big gov on this issue:
Setout
If you set your waste out incorrectly or at the wrong time, or on the wrong days, you may be fined:
- $50 for the first offense
- $100 for the second offense
- $200 for the third and subsequent offenses
Bins
If you use a bin that is broken or if waste spills out of your container, you may be fined:
- $50 for the first offense
- $100 for the second offense
- $200 for the third and subsequent offenses
As of November 12, 2024, all New York City properties with 1-9 residential units must use a bin (55 gallons or less) with a secure lid for non-recyclable trash.
The warning period ended on January 2, 2025.
After the warning period, failure to use a bin that is 55 gallons or less with a secure lid for trash set out will result in fines:
- $50 for the first offense
- $100 for the second offense
- $200 for the third and subsequent offenses
Separation
If you do not separate your recyclables and composting from trash, or if you do not properly separate and set out recyclables correctly, you may receive a fine.
- Buildings with 1 to 8 units:
- $25 for the first offense
- $50 for the second offense
- $100 for the third and subsequent offenses
- Buildings with 9 or more units:
- $100 for the first offense
- $200 for the second offense
- $300 for the third and subsequent offenses
So, basically, what it all boils down to is that if a sanitation worker finds a banana peel or some eggs shells in your regular garbage, you have to pay the government. You can even call 311 and report someone who isn't participating. Your tax dollars at work. I'm so glad that city doesn't have any other major problems that it needs to solve at the moment.
Look, I'm not knocking composting. I do it. I think it's a beautiful and beneficial thing (not because of "climate change" but because of how it helps rebuild soil). And while I think manmade climate change is a hoax, I am fully in favor of taking action to keep our environment clean and healthy. I'm even in favor of encouraging residents in a city like this to volunteer for a composting program. But this is an example of government overreach at its finest. It's a big money grab. If you don't "bundle your twigs and branches with twine," you owe us some of your hard-earned cash. Give me a freaking break.
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And from what I've read in the various comments sections on some of these articles, residents aren't thrilled with it, either. Some of them are happy to do it on a voluntary basis, but have you ever seen a comprehensive list of what can and can't be composted? It's a little more complicated than "food waste" and "yard waste," with lots of gray areas, and we're expecting every single resident and sanitation worker in a major city to make that call? As a matter of fact, the New York Post reported in January that many people were throwing cat litter in the composting bin, which is a big no. Another example is that the government website also encourages composting meat, something most experts discourage because, well, it attracts vermin.
Many residents raise concerns that all the extra effort will just create more environmental issues (more trucks, plastic bags, etc.), and others say that their neighborhoods are already participating, but the food sitting on the street is rotting and attracting more rodents, especially when DSNY accidentally skips a week, which appears to be a common practice. According to the Post, residents are also having trouble with storage. DSNY suggests storing your food scraps in your freezer to avoid attracting insects and creating foul odors in your home, but many people don't have that type of freezer space. Some people who live in apartment buildings complain about having to take all of their scraps to the building's basement where their bins are located, which is time-consuming.
Speaking of apartment buildings, landlords are the most upset about the new law. If their tenants don't participate, they get fined, so they're having to use their own resources to dig through the trash before DSNY does. I'm guessing most maintenance guys didn't sign up to sort trash as part of their jobs. It seems almost impossible to implement and like it'll create a bigger mess than it aims to fix. As one building manager put it, these officials are "detached from reality."
And this is just one reason I thank God every day that I do not live in a place like New York City.
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