Under the Adams administration, NYC Sanitation has been directed to temporarily suspend issuing most fines for buildings in violation of the mandatory composting law.
Curbside composting has been mandatory in NYC since October 2024. However, sanitation inspectors did not begin enforcing the rule until April 1.
This period allowed residents to become familiar with the new regulations and adjust their habits.
Liz Garcia, First Deputy Press Secretary for Mayor Eric Adams, said that the original fine structure “called for fines that started at $25 for smaller buildings and could climb to $300 per violation for bigger residences.”
Under the revised fine policy, only buildings with more than 30 units that have received over four warnings from the sanitation department for failing to compost will receive a fine of $100.
This change in enforcement of the city-wide composting law comes after more than 4,000 tickets were issued to buildings in the first two weeks of the fine program. The start of the strict enforcement also led to an increase in compost compliance.
However, the composting mandate has posed a steep learning curve for many New Yorkers, particularly in the Bronx, where residents have voiced their complaints.
Morris Park resident, Rochelle Mandina, shared her frustration at facing fines for a multitude of reasons.
“So now, if I leave my pail out here, and somebody comes along and steals it every week, I have to pay for that,” Medina told CBS News. Other critics have attacked the composting mandate.
The Common Sense Caucus, a group of City Council members, has been adamant in arguing that composting should be voluntary.
NYC Council member Robert Holden believes that this move to suspend fines is a good idea.
“Homeowners already face too many rules and regulations. Let’s incentivize, not penalize,” Holden wrote in a Facebook post.
Shaun Abreu, Council Sanitation Committee Chairman and a proponent of the compost mandate believes that the “program lacks teeth without fines” and will disincentivize people from complying.
Abreu also criticized the Adams administration for threatening the city’s Zero Waste goals by holding off on issuing fines.
Brooklyn Councilwoman Shahana Hanif also critiqued the Adams administration for failing to properly fund outreach efforts about the composting program.
While “the rollout of fines showed that the enforcement strategy was working,” NYC has shifted its focus on compost education for the rest of the year.
With this new reversal, residents have an additional eight months of leniency for composting.
The Department of Sanitation will continue curbside composting pickup, as Adams has maintained that composting is mandatory. Garcia stated that the citywide fine system will resume in 2026.
