USANewsOnline.Com Desk, New York, NY: In response to the Mayor’s compost-related announcement in today’s State of the City, Sanitation Chair, Council Member Sandy Nurse, and Council Member Shahana Hanif issued the following statement:
“The writing has been on the wall: through both Council legislation, and the growing demands of New Yorkers, New York City will have a universal curbside organics program. Today’s announcement of this historic program begins to set New York City on a path towards achieving Zero Waste.

In 2022, we joined with Council Member Powers to introduce the Zero Waste Act, a set of bills that requires the Department of Sanitation to implement a citywide mandatory residential organics program, increase access to organics and recycling drop-off sites across New York City, and requires the City to meet 2030 waste diversion goals. These bills swiftly gained a veto-proof supermajority of co-sponsors and are poised for imminent passage, pending completion of a legally required environmental review by the administration.
We are committed to codifying a mandatory citywide organics program into law this spring as part of the Zero Waste Act to ensure it permanently remains in place, is fully funded, and cannot be rolled back. We are concerned that unlike Int. 244 (Hanif), the Mayor’s proposal does not require participation, which has been essential to citywide program success in other cities. As we’ve seen in previous piloted non-mandatory efforts, such a program would undoubtedly result in less compost being collected, less efficient truck runs, and higher costs for organic processing. This is not economically sustainable and fails to reach the environmental impact that the current crisis moment demands.
We are proud that our efforts–along with those of environmental organizations, grassroots environmental justice groups, the New York City solid waste advisory boards, and waste advocates–have led to today’s announcement of a historic citywide curbside organics program. This program not only sets New York City on a concrete path toward achieving Zero Waste but will transform the way New Yorkers think about and deal with their waste.

A fully funded, accessible, and citywide organics program sends a clear message that New York City is serious about tackling the climate crisis, building sustainable waste systems, and keeping our streets clean.
We applaud Mayor Eric Adams for listening to New Yorkers. We would also like to recognize the leadership of Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who has demonstrated an aggressive commitment to a citywide organics program. Lastly, it’s important to acknowledge the many DSNY leaders who worked relentlessly over the past decade to lay the groundwork for organics programs in the city.
We look forward to working with our Council colleagues, Commissioner Tisch, and Mayor Adams to support this new program launch and ensure we have successful participation across all the five boroughs.”