Expanding Staten Island’s Compost Facility

What we've done

With curbside composting coming to all of NYC by the end of 2024, the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has expanded capacity at the Staten Island Compost Facility to handle the increased food waste it will be receiving from New Yorkers.

This expansion will allow the teams at the facility to turn food waste into compost by an additional 2,000 percent. The facility – which has produced hundreds of millions of pounds of compost over the last decade – is now using aerated static piles that expose pre-compost waste to air and moisture on all sides. This, in addition to new equipment at the facility, will help speed up the waste-to-compost process and get more compost product for our parks, gardens and yards across NYC.

Fast facts

• Citywide curbside composting will be in all five boroughs by end of 2024
• Staten Island Compost Facility previously had to use daily turning and repositioning methods for waste, taking about 6 to 8 months to complete
• New equipment will cut that time in half
• The expansion will increase compost processing from 3 million pounds of compost a year to 62.4 million pounds a year
• The facility will scale the amount of yard waste processed therefrom 147 million pounds to 209.4 million pounds
• While compost is sold to landscapers, it is also provided for free to community organizations, everyday New Yorkers, and NYC Parks

Why it matters

Citywide curbside composting is a goal for the Adams administration and an important piece of building the greener New York City of the future.

If we want the rollout to happen without a hitch, we need to grow our capacity for the compost we’ll be receiving from all five boroughs. This is a proactive step in the right direction that will also help keep our city cleaner, greener and more equitable for all New Yorkers to enjoy."