The DSNY is suspending its curbside compost and food waste collection program through June 30, 2021. As of Monday, May 4, food and yard waste must be thrown out with regular trash going forward. Additionally, the Sanitation Department pulled the plug on its electronics collection program. The initiative, in which Sanitation crews would pick up discarded e-waste by appointment, had been suspended previously due to the pandemic.
No other changes are being made to Sanitation Department programs, including trash and mandatory recycling, which remain on schedule. “These are painful cuts to make, and we do not take these changes lightly,” said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. “The city is facing an unprecedented crisis and these service reductions will allow the city to maintain emergency services and its core municipal services.”
At this point, the Sanitation Department described the suspension of its compost and food waste collection program as temporary. As it phased the program in across parts of the city, the Sanitation Department distributed brown bins for residents to use specifically for food and yard waste. The Sanitation Department advised residents to clean the brown bins and keep them in storage after May 4 until the composting collection program resumes.