Overview of the Composting Initiative

The composting initiative mandates that all food scraps and food-soiled paper be placed into designated compost bins, a measure aimed at diverting organic waste from landfills. By converting this waste into compost or renewable energy, the city seeks to address both environmental pollution and the growing rat population.

Enforcement Concerns from Landlords

Many landlords and property managers are expressing their frustrations over the new regulations. They argue that the responsibility for compliance is being unfairly shifted onto them, even though they lack the authority to ensure tenant participation.

“The law essentially amounts to supers having to dumpster dive through trash in order to comply with the composting law the city has mandated,” said Kenny Burgos of the New York Apartment Association. “It’s a law that is going to be incredibly difficult to comply with.”

Another property owner, Christopher Athineos, who manages 100 units in Brooklyn, stated, “I as a property owner have no ability to enforce it on my tenants. I can educate as much as possible, but ultimately I have no teeth to enforce it.”

Details of the Fines

The fines for non-compliance are tiered based on the size of the building:

• For buildings with up to 8 apartments, fines start at $25 and can increase to $100.
• For larger buildings, with over 9 apartments, initial fines begin at $100 and can escalate to $300.

City’s Justification for the Program

According to the Department of Sanitation, this initiative is similar to historical recycling requirements. “Think about it this way—we’ve been required to separate recyclables for 20 years. This is just the same—a new material type now covered,” said Joshua Goodman, the deputy commissioner for sanitation.