Social & Economic Issues

From Waste to Wonder: The Impact of NYC’s New Composting Policy on Schools

By: Amelia Shivdayal

On May 1st, 2025, Bayside High School students had the unique opportunity to welcome the New York City Mayor Eric Adams. While his visit was exciting for some, it also brought some inconvenience.  Random scanning was set up and all students had to pass through metal detectors, which delayed students from getting into school on-time.  Nevertheless, the Mayor spoke about implementing a city budget and introducing a new composting policy, which was effective April 1st, 2025. 

 All households in the five boroughs are required to compost, or they risk fines that are expected to increase over time.  This initiative is heavily monitored by the NYC Department of Sanitation. Landowners, businesses, homeowners, city agencies, and the Department of Education (DOE)  received guidance on the process of composting. All food waste must be placed in a secure bin with a lid or a heavy-duty paper bag. 

According to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), statistics from 2019 estimated that 66.2 million tons of food waste were generated, with only 5% of it being composted. This is detrimental to the environment, as uneaten foods in landfills and sewer systems contribute to the increased production of methane gas, which accelerates climate change.

To improve composting efforts, the DOE  has implemented a composting plan across schools in the five boroughs. Cafeterias in schools will have color-designated compost bins and shared tables to simplify the once complicated process for students and staff. By partaking in composting, students are encouraged to be “Wellness Ambassadors” in their schools.

Students at Bayside High School have shared their opinions on the city’s composting program. Eleventh grader, Yessica Suero, commented, “I think the new composting rule in NYC schools is a good idea. It helps us learn how to take care of the environment and reduce waste. It's easy to do and makes a big difference if everyone helps, but I also think a lot of students don’t really know how it works or why it matters. Schools should explain it better and get students more involved, maybe with fun activities or challenges.” 

Additionally, Asella Shin, a Bayside High school junior, commented, “At first, I didn’t care about the new composting rule, but now I think it’s actually a good idea. It made me realize how much food we waste every day.”

Past attempts to establish a citywide composting program were met with dismay from residents because of difficulties accessing composting sites, unpleasant odors, increased rat populations, poor air quality, and the NYC Sanitation Department’s failure to collect compostable materials. In fact, only 4.6% of composting materials were properly separated and collected.

Tenth grader, Chloe Piao, added, “NYC's new composting policy is good because it helps the planet, and being at school teaches us to recycle. It might be hard to remember what goes where, but it’s a good habit to learn.” Another sophomore, Vanessa Vaquez, added, “I see my parents are excited about composting so I think it's not a bad idea, especially if we’re saving the planet.”

 The DOE has provided schools with instructional materials on composting, blue bins for plastics, green bins for paper, and brown bins for compostable waste. By encouraging New Yorkers to compost, we will have cleaner streets, reduced pollution, lower methane emissions, and increased job opportunities. And these all contribute to a safer, sustainable future for our city.