NYC Council Members Introduce Bill to End Composting Mandate as Fines Exceed 2,400

The city's curbside composting program sees a 240% increase in organic waste collection, but critics decry enforcement as burdensome and ineffective.

New York City has issued over 2,400 fines since April 1 for non-compliance with its mandatory curbside composting program, which requires organic waste separation.
The Department of Sanitation reports a 240% rise in collected compostable material, totaling 2.5 million pounds in the program's first week of enforcement.
Critics, including property managers and some council members, argue the mandate is overly punitive, calling it a financial burden on working-class families and an operational challenge for building staff.
Only one-fifth of the collected organic waste currently reaches composting facilities, with the remainder sent to wastewater-treatment plants, raising concerns about environmental efficacy.
A faction of City Council members, led by the Common Sense Caucus, has introduced legislation to repeal the fines and make participation in the program voluntary, though the bill faces slim chances of passing.