New York City Expanding Organic Waste Collection

New York City will expand its curbside collection of organic materials to parts of Queens and Brooklyn beginning in April.

The Department of Sanitation (DOS) said in a news release that the service will be rolled out to parts of three neighborhoods in Queens and five in Brooklyn. The DOS already provides organics collection in areas of Manhattan, Staten Island, the Bronx and Brooklyn.

The program affects single-family homes or buildings with nine or fewer residential units. The week before service begins, homes will receive a starter kit that includes a brochure detailing the program, a small kitchen container and a brown outdoor organics bin.

Residents can put organic waste from the home and yard in the brown organics bin.

“By launching our organics collection program, we will help the city reduce trash disposal costs and create renewable energy or compost – a natural fertilizer,” said Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty.