Waste, compost & Recycling

2023 school waste profile. 34% curbside recyclables, 49% organics suitable for composting, 15% other, 2% other divertable materials

New York City schools generate more than 40,000 tons of waste per year. Of all the “trash” produced in a school building, a lot of it can be recycled, composted, or reused. The NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Waste Characterization Study found that 85% of waste generated in schools can be recycled, composted, or responsibly diverted from landfills.

All schools in New York City are crucial to helping our city reduce waste sent to landfills. NYC Public Schools Office of Energy & Sustainability supports all school stakeholder (students, teachers, custodial staff, administrators) in composting and recycling.

curbside compost expansion


We're thrilled to announce that DSNY is expanding Curbside Composting to all remaining K-12 NYC Public Schools by the end of 2024!  


Your entire building is required to separate all food scraps, compostable plates/utensils, and food-soiled paper (e.g. napkins) from all other trash and recycling.


Newly added schools receive specific support and training from NYC Public Schools Office of Energy & Sustainability and GrowNYC Zero Waste Schools.

A DSNY brown bin to collect food scraps and food-soiled paper

Curbside Compost Expansion FAQ's

If I’m a part of the one of remaining expansion cohorts, what support am I getting so we can compost? 

To best equip schools for success, all schools will be provided with:  

The Office of Energy and Sustainability will also be training various school stakeholders, including Principals, Sustainability Coordinators, Custodian Engineers, Deputy Directors of Facilities, and Office of Food and Nutrition Services, prior to each expansion date. 


When did or will my school start composting? 

If your school is in The Bronx, Manhattan or Staten Island, check out the list of schools in Previous Expansions.  

If your school is in:

What can be composted and what are the benefits of composting?

The change in waste collections means that school buildings will be required to sort all compostable waste. This includes:  

There are many benefits of composting, some of which include creating local green jobs, a cleaner community, and better containerization of “stinky” waste. Compost helps create healthy soil, which can capture rainwater and reduce the likelihood of flooding. One of the main benefits is that it reduces the amount of waste that goes to landfills, which ultimately leads to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To learn more, click here.   

Do we have to participate in the curbside compost program? 

Once schools receive all the materials for the curbside compost expansion and the Department of Sanitation starts the compost collection services, schools are required to participate in this initiative. This service is in addition to the mandated recycling of paper/cardboard and metal/glass/hard plastic/cartons per Local Law 41 and Chancellor’s Regulation A-850.   

Are the other waste streams changing? 

All the other streams will remain the same. In other words, paper and cardboard can still be recycled in the green bin and metal, glass, hard plastic, and cartons can still be recycled in the blue bin. The main change is that all compostable material will now be recycled in the brown bin, instead of going to the trash. Trash production should be much less with this change, considering over 50% of all waste that is produced in schools can be composted.  

Other questions? Contact DSNY Schools Unit: schools@dsny.nyc.gov  or NYC Public Schools Office of Energy & Sustainability: wastesupport@schools.nyc.gov.

Custodian & Educator Resources

To access more resources, check the Waste Education Resources for Educators Portal
(hosted on Google Drive).