Starting today, Curbside Composting will be available in all five boroughs. It had been available to residents in Brooklyn and Queens – collection is beginning in the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island.

The move is an effort to fight off the rat population and go green with a reduction of waste. Moving forward any leftovers, meat, bones, dairy, paper plates or pizza boxes are mandated to go in a composting bin.

The Department of Sanitation says residents can use a DSNY brown bin or a dedicated bin to compost. It’s clearly labeled with a secure lid.

When composting, think leaves, yard waste, food scraps and food-soiled paper.

"When you don't separate that material, it sits in your trash. It attracts rats. It goes to a landfill and it becomes nothing,” says Joshua goodman, DSNY’s deputy commissioner. “When you participate in the Curbside Composting program, it either becomes renewable energy to heat and power homes or it becomes soil, compost – usable soil to add to our community gardens, to our parks, to your home gardens as well."

Failure to comply will result in fines starting in April 2025. For buildings with one to eight units, the first offense will result in a $25 fine, while buildings with nine or more units will be fined $100.

For more information click here.