Park Slope Rep Introduces Mandatory Composting Bill

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Composting could become mandatory across New York City if Park Slope's City Council member has her way.

Council Member Shahana Hanif introduced Thursday legislation to the City Council that would create a universal composting program for the city.

"I am thrilled to introduce #Intro244 to create a mandatory universal composting program for NYC," Hanif said in a Twitter announcement Thursday.

"This is an environmentally conscious, economically sound policy that has the potential to create hundreds of green jobs and dramatically reduce our City's carbon footprint."

The proposed law mandates the expansion of New York's brown bin program to all residential buildings, barring public housing, by June 2023, city records show.

The Sanitation department would also be responsible for outreach and publishing informational guides to composting.

The city's GrowNYC Compost Program has grown steadily since its launch in 2011, but took a large hit during the pandemic when budget cuts suspended the organics curbside collection program, city data show.

At its peak in 2019, the city collected more than 3.2 million pounds of food scraps through the program.

The Independent Budget Office estimates the program would create $33 million in savings after its fifth year, after an initial increase in cost of about $39 million in the first three years.

But Hanif's bill could face a challenger in Mayor Eric Adams, who cut the city's organics recycling program in his preliminary budget.

In contrast, Park Slope resident former Mayor Bill de Blasio was such a fan of composting, he invited a compost bin to one of his press conferences and spoke to it.

"It's a very good-looking, sleek bin," said de Blasio. "But with nothing to say."

Hanif's announcement received positive feedback on Twitter from followers concerned about climate change and the city's waste management system.

"Thank you, CM!!" wrote Bobbi Barnett. "This sounds lik[e] the way we make sure composting occurs at the scale we need for it to make financial sense AND makes it to all neighborhoods— not just the ones that are well connected and organized around it."

In a rare voice of dissent, Twitter user Eileen replied, "You just want the city filled with rats and roaches."

This article was corrected Monday to show the IBO estimate was $39 million in the first three years, not $39 million per year, as originally stated in this article.