Rodrigo Castaneda
New York City has just achieved a major milestone: completing the rollout of its citywide curbside compost pickup program. As of October, all five boroughs now make composting as easy as taking out the garbage. This puts the city closer to its goal of achieving by 2030. But equally important, New York鈥檚 curbside strategy goes beyond waste reduction鈥攊t鈥檚 also a step toward reducing greenhouse gases, and is centered on resource creation.听
When food and other organic waste is sent to landfills, it decomposes anaerobically and produces methane, a greenhouse gas that traps heat more effectively than carbon dioxide 鈥� contributing significantly to climate change. In fact, food waste is responsible for of global greenhouse gas emissions, and in the United States, it generates emissions equivalent to those produced by annually. Landfilling food waste also squanders valuable resources like water, energy, and labor, making it a massive drain on both the environment and economy.听
Composting, on the other hand, allows waste to break down without creating methane, and eventually results in valuable compost material that can be used on agricultural fields or in gardens, adding nutrients that lead to healthier plants and more abundant crop yields.
With a separate bin for compost pickup, New Yorkers are now able to divert food scraps, yard trimmings, and even from landfills. By redirecting this waste from landfills to composting facilities, the Big Apple joins the ranks of pioneering cities like San Francisco and Seattle, which have already embraced large-scale composting programs that benefit local agriculture and urban green spaces.听
鈥淐omposting is a win-win-win,鈥� Mayor Eric Adams after introducing the city鈥檚 public school composting program in May. “It keeps waste out of landfills, greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, and rats out of our communities.” Yes, you read that right. Composting isn鈥檛 just making New York greener, it鈥檚 making it cleaner. In the Bronx, for example, the city has reported a in active rat signs over the past year due to reduced food scraps in trash bins, one of the primary food sources for rodents.
Fighting the war on rats is just one of many benefits. Composting is key to supporting local sustainable farming practices. Not only does it act as a natural fertilizer, compost boosts water retention in soil, cutting irrigation needs by up to per hectare and making crops more drought resistant. Compost also acts as a carbon sink, helping to combat climate change by sequestering carbon in the soil. Perhaps most impressive is its ability to increase crop yields by a whopping 鈥� making it an invaluable resource for urban and rural farming alike.听聽
In a city where food waste makes up nearly of all municipal solid waste, New York鈥檚 curbside composting program offers a direct and scalable solution to reducing the city鈥檚 environmental footprint while simultaneously enhancing productivity for local gardens, farms, and parks. The success of this program lies in its convenience鈥攃urbside pickup makes composting accessible for all residents, ensuring that even those without the space or means to compost at home can still participate. This approach reflects a broad, forward-thinking vision of sustainable waste management.听
To truly maximize the impact of composting, waste systems everywhere must embrace it more comprehensively鈥攏ot just for food scraps and yard waste, but for the growing array of compostable materials, including packaging. Compostable plastics, in particular, are emerging as an essential tool in reducing packaging waste. Many products in the food industry rely on plastic packaging to keep items fresh and safe for consumption. This flexible plastic packaging is , but it is also unrealistic to ban it outright. In such situations, compostable plastic is an alternative that offers the same packaging benefits of traditional plastic鈥攖he ability to keep goods clean and fresh鈥攂ut when disposed of in compost conditions, it breaks down into compost.
When composting is a bigger part of the waste system, it also enables more compostable waste to reach industrial composting facilities, rather than relying solely on home-composting heaps. Industrial composting facilities create optimal conditions for compostable plastics and other compostable materials to decompose efficiently, using high temperatures and controlled environments to accelerate breakdown from decades to weeks or months. Facilities can also use new technologies that make industrial composting more economical and practical for citywide waste management systems. For example, use artificial intelligence and robotics to separate compostable materials from non-compostable waste, reducing contamination and making it easier for waste facilities to process large volumes of material without compromising compost quality.
By embracing these advancements and incorporating composting into its waste management system, New York is the latest of a growing number of cities proving that even in densely populated, fast-paced urban environments, sustainability can be prioritized. Composting is a practical, large-scale solution, one that aligns economic growth with environmental preservation. As the city continues to innovate, the Big Apple鈥檚 heavy investment in composting infrastructure and public education will play a pivotal role in combating climate change and reshaping waste practices for a greener future.听