Lessons from San Francisco’s Organics Program and Implications for New York City
The current efforts of the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) to reduce the volume of organics sent to landfills focus on encouraging people to voluntarily separate their organics from recyclables and other waste. Most notably, in August 2022, DSNY announced that it will offer curbside organics collection throughout Queens between October and December 2022, and then again starting in March 2023.
This policy brief examines key features and outcomes of San Francisco’s mandatory organics diversion program, and draws lessons from this experience for the introduction of citywide residential organics collection in New York City.
Authors
Soorim Song, Ph.D. (UC Berkeley), J.D. Candidate (NYU School of Law)
Matthew M. Civello, Chair, Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board
Sharon Silbermann, Textiles Committee Chair, Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board
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