The New York City Council has passed a new ordinance that aims to combat both climate change and the rat population. The ordinance will require residents to dispose of food scraps and yard waste in vermin-proof curbside containers for composting, diverting organic materials from landfills and transforming them into nutrient-rich soil. If signed by Mayor Eric Adams, the mandate will establish the largest municipal composting program in the country, preventing 8 million pounds of organic waste per day (equivalent to the weight of 160 full garbage trucks) from being sent to landfills and significantly reducing the city’s methane emissions.
According to Council Member Sandy Nurse, who chairs the Committee on Sanitation and advocated for a “zero waste” legislative package that includes the composting measure, the Big Apple’s composting plans are ambitious and aggressive. The council passed the ordinance with a veto-proof majority. Nurse believes that once curbside organic waste collection is implemented by the end of next year, New Yorkers will find the process “simple” and will be eager to participate. She believes that this initiative will create more access to composting for residents who want to do the right thing.
In recent years, voluntary composting programs have been implemented in many communities across the United States. Mandatory programs have mostly been concentrated in large cities and a few blue states. Supporters of composting programs argue that they reduce emissions, save landfill space, create job opportunities, and produce soil that is free of harmful fertilizers. However, these programs can be costly, requiring investments in new bins, compost facilities, and public education campaigns to change people’s long-standing habits of disposing of organic waste in regular trash cans. Nonetheless, communities that have embraced composting programs have seen significant reductions in the amount of organic waste sent to landfills and have saved money on landfill fees.
Composting requires a shift in behavior and patience, according to Sally Brown, a professor of environmental and forest sciences at the University of Washington. Many people underestimate the amount of education and outreach needed to encourage proper composting practices. However, individuals like Katja Whitham of Claremont, California, find composting to be a worthwhile investment of time and effort. Whitham separates her food waste and yard waste from regular trash using different containers and participates in her city’s mandatory composting program. She appreciates the environmental benefits and believes that once people get used to composting, it becomes easy.
Food scraps and yard waste account for approximately one-third of municipal waste that ends up in landfills or incinerators. This poses sustainability challenges. When organic waste decomposes in landfills, it releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Incinerating moist organic waste requires significant energy consumption and pollutes the air. Mandatory composting programs have thrived in cities like San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. Seattle, for example, sends 125,000 tons of food and yard waste to composting facilities each year, transforming the scraps into compost for local parks and gardens. Pilot programs are also underway in Boston, Pittsburgh, and Jacksonville. Several states, including California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, have enacted laws over the past decade to divert organic waste from landfills to composting facilities. California has made significant progress, with 70% of local jurisdictions implementing mandatory composting programs. The state has allocated $240 million to support the rollout of these programs.
Rachel Machi Wagoner, the director of California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, emphasizes that composting is a cost-effective and impactful action that communities can take to combat climate change. The state has set a goal of reducing organic waste disposal to 75% of 2014 levels, which would be equivalent to taking 3 million cars off the road. However, persuading communities and individuals to participate in composting programs has been a challenge. The Little Hoover Commission, a bipartisan state oversight agency, recently called for a pause in California’s composting program, citing slow implementation and the need for public education. However, Wagoner disagrees with the commission’s findings and believes that the program is making progress. She acknowledges the need for improved public education and has witnessed concerns from residents, such as an increase in flies around composting bins, but remains committed to the program’s success.
While mandatory composting programs may not be suitable for every community, gradual voluntary participation can still lead to success. Many communities across the country offer voluntary food waste composting services, and over 10 million households in 25 states have municipal food scrap collection programs. Olathe, Kansas, for example, recently introduced a composting program that allows residents to drop off their food waste.
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