For IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts: Alex Liao | aliao@council.nyc.gov, (973) 647-5001, Mus Lamia | mlamia@council.nyc.gov, (646) 353-4549
NEW YORK, NY: As the author of Local Law 85 of 2023, which established citywide mandatory curbside composting, I am thrilled that this program was rolled out this week in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. This milestone marks the full implementation of the largest composting effort in the nation and the most significant transformation to the city’s sanitation services since recycling became mandatory in 1989. Curbside composting can divert up to one-third of our city’s organic waste from landfills and incinerators, repurposing it to enrich our soil and fuel our homes. This is a critical step toward reducing waste, cutting emissions, and building a greener, cleaner, and rat-proof New York City.
While Mayor Eric Adams began his term by proposing cuts to compost collection, the City Council has always been a resolute supporter of making compost collection universal under the leadership of Speaker Adrienne Adams, who introduced Local Law 85 alongside me in April 2022. After the bill accumulated a clear majority of Council Member sponsors and numerous organizational endorsements, the Mayor began taking steps in the right direction with the release of his proposed roadmap for composting in February 2023. However, the Mayor’s plan opposed mandatory participation and favored an unworkable opt-in model. In contrast, Local Law 85 establishes a mandatory model that will lead to efficient routes, lower costs, and greater environmental benefits. Notably, after the Council passed my legislation, the Mayor chose not to sign it into law—it lapsed into law after sitting on his desk for 30 days without executive action. This milestone could not have occurred without the hard work of the City Council and the environmental justice leaders who have long championed this issue, including Big Reuse, BK Rot, El Puente, Lower East Side Ecology Center, National Resources Defense Council, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, New York League of Conservation Voters, Sure We Can, Teamsters Local 813, TreeAge, and WE ACT for Environmental Justice.
I look forward to collaborating with the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) to ensure equitable implementation of this historic program as they continue their legally required multi-lingual outreach campaign over the next few months so that New Yorkers are aware of the new regulations before fines and penalties are enforced beginning on April 1, 2025. It’s also important to note that the Mayor slashed the community composting program in the FY 25 budget, which is vital for providing public compost education and training to New Yorkers across the City. I’m grateful that the City Council was able to restore this essential program thanks to the advocacy of community organizations and the leadership of Speaker Adams. I also encourage the Administration to increase compost processing capacity across the city to handle the growth in organic material collection and ensure that collected materials are used in the most environmentally beneficial way.
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About Council Member Shahana Hanif: Council Member Shahana Hanif is the Council Member for Brooklyn’s 39th District, Co-Chair of the Council’s Progressive Caucus, and Co-Chair of the Council’s Task Force to Combat Hate. Born and raised in Kensington, Brooklyn, she is the daughter of two Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants. She is a product of public schools, having attended P.S. 230 and Brooklyn College, and is an activist, community organizer, and public servant. Before being elected to office, she served as the Director of Organizing and Community Engagement in former Council Member, now Comptroller, Brad Lander’s office, where she led grassroots initiatives like Participatory Budgeting. Council Member Hanif is the first Muslim woman ever elected to the New York City Council and the first woman Council Member for the 39th District.
