"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."
Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration resumed fining New Yorkers for failing to separate organic waste, with penalties beginning at $25 and increasing for repeat offenders. Former Mayor Eric Adams had paused fines for buildings with 30 or fewer units in spring 2025 and said fines would resume in 2026. Sanitation data indicates participation declined after the pause, and more than 90% of organic waste still goes to landfills. Sanitation inspectors issued 425 summonses since Mamdani took office. The city's brown-bin compost rollout completed in 2024; landlords of small and large buildings can be fined for noncompliance.
Read at Gothamist
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]