A San Diego resident disposes eggshells, strawberries and coffee grounds into a city-issued compost bin. California requires food and yard waste composting, banning them from landfills. — Photos: MATT VASILOGAMBROS/Stateline/TNS
IN ITS fight against both climate change and rats, the New York City Council overwhelmingly passed a new ordinance in June that will require residents to dispose of food scraps and yard waste in vermin-proof curbside containers for future compost, diverting organic materials from landfills and turning them into rich soil.
If signed by Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, the city’s mandate would be the largest municipal composting programmeme in the country, keeping 3,628 tonnes of organic waste every day out of landfills (around the weight of 160 full garbage trucks) and drastically reducing the city’s methane emissions.
