Clean City FAQs

Our waste is our responsibility. After all, we create it.

The NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) works tirelessly to help New Yorkers clean up 24 million pounds of trash and recycling every single day via residential curbside and public litter basket collection and street sweeping. But our dedicated Sanitation Workers can’t do this work unless we make sure to put our own waste in its proper place. 

Each of us has a role to play in keeping NYC clean.

Here at the Sanitation Foundation, we get a lot of questions from New Yorkers — from recycling and composting, to clearing snow and disposing of e-waste. So we’ve put together the FAQs below, to help people understand what their responsibilities are in creating a clean, healthy and more sustainable city for all New Yorkers. We’ve also included links to more resources in case you want to learn more.

How can the Department of Sanitation do better when it comes to recycling methods?

The Department of Sanitation has tried to make recycling as easy and accessible as possible for all NYC residents. DSNY currently provides curbside collection of three recycling streams: 1) Paper and Cardboard, 2) Metal, Glass, Rigid Plastic, and Cartons, and 3) Organics, which includes food scraps and leaf and yard waste. The Curbside Composting Program is the newest recycling program provided by DSNY to all NYC residents. It's important to note that DSNY does not provide recycling or trash collection from private businesses, such as restaurants and commercial office buildings. These businesses must contract with a private waste hauler for recycling and trash collection. However, the Commercial Waste Zones Law, which is being implemented by DSNY, will provide more oversight of the commercial waste hauling industry, and should help improve recycling rates from private businesses. 

What rules or policies can bring about a better change to littering? Maybe strong laws with fines or not allowing certain items to be produced by companies since many can't be recycled.

Often New Yorkers are not aware of their legal responsibility to reduce littering. Not only are there fines for littering, but property owners are legally required to keep their sidewalks and curbs clean (Property owners must clean and sweep the sidewalk, tree beds, and gutters next to their properties and the area extending 18 inches into the street from the curb). This includes both residential and commercial property owners. In dense commercial areas, business improvement districts are one effective way for businesses to fund supplemental cleaning services. New Yorkers are also not always aware of the environmental and economic impacts of littering. For example, litter often collects on storm drains and prevents storm water from draining into the sewer, which can exacerbate flooding, which then leads to property damage. It's difficult for DSNY's enforcement teams to be everywhere and issue fines for littering, so raising awareness among New Yorkers is key to reducing littering. That's why the Sanitation Foundation launched our Don't Do NYC Dirty Campaign. 

What can reduce the amount of trash and rats here in New York? 

DSNY's containerization programs are trying to do just that. By requiring residents and businesses to keep their trash in containers, rather than putting black bags out on the curb, DSNY hopes to reduce a once abundant source of rat food. DSNY is also conducting a pilot program to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of containerized waste solutions while addressing space constraints and operational considerations.

CLEAN STREETS AND SIDEWALKS

  • Litter is any trash that is loose and laying in the street and curbs or on sidewalks– not contained in a trash bag or bin. Typically, when we think of litter, we think of napkins, disposable coffee cups, food wrappers — things that you might need to dispose of while you’re outside walking around.

    Some litter is intentional, like when someone throws an apple core out of their car window. Sometimes it is unintentional, like a napkin that blows out of your hand when the wind kicks up. In both cases, it can be prevented.

    DSNY litter baskets are located on most NYC street corners for pedestrians to throw away light trash. They are not for household or commercial waste. Dog waste is ok, but please put it in a bag and tie it up first.

  • You can be fined up to $350 if you choose to litter, or leave litter around your property.

  • If you own the property, then you are responsible for keeping the sidewalk in front of your building clean.

    If you own or rent in a building, then your building management or superintendent, etc. is responsible. Property owners must clean sidewalks (including areas like tree pits, grass strips within sidewalks, etc.) and gutter areas (18 inches from the curb into the street) along the building perimeter. Yes: this includes cleaning up dog poop even if the dog isn’t yours!

    Litter and sweepings must be picked up and placed in bins with secure lids for collection.

  • Please call 311 or file a complaint online at nyc.gov/311 to report litter conditions. 311 will send the complaint to DSNY so that one of their agents can inspect the area and issue fines if necessary.

  • Yes. All violations of DSNY rules are subject to a fine. The first fine is $50 and each fine after that is $100.

    DSNY inspects sidewalks during specific times of the day. Sidewalk cleaning enforcement times depend on the type of property.

    Although enforcement agents will issue tickets for dirty sidewalks and gutters only during the specified time periods, they may issue tickets for all other violations at any time.

  • Property owners are required by law to clean the sidewalks and 18 inches into the street outside their properties. This is an ESSENTIAL part of keeping New York City clean.

    The Department of Sanitation writes summonses to Sidewalk Slobs every day. In fact, fines for repeat offenders are higher than ever – up to $500 for the worst of the worst.

    But DSNY can't do this all on their own! Report a Sidewalk Slob near you, and they just may end up in the Hall of Shame.

    DSNY will do their part to hold them accountable, because cleanliness is a shared responsibility.

CONTAINERIZATION - SETTING OUT WASTE

  • On April 1, 2023, a new rule went into effect to reduce the time that trash, recycling, and curbside composting sits out on the curb.

    Residential buildings of any size (single-family and multi-unit) have two options:

    1. Place waste out after 6:00 PM in a bin of 55 gallons or less with a secure lid, or

    2. Place waste out after 8:00 PM, if putting bags directly on the curb

    To ensure collection, all waste must be set out by midnight.

  • As of November 12, 2024, new rules now are in effect to begin containerizing all residential trash. New York City will finally remove the mountains of black bags from our streets, reclaiming public space and improving quality of life.

    The new rules also apply to special-use buildings receiving DSNY collection – including City agencies, nonprofits, houses of worship, and professional offices in residential buildings.

    November 12, 2024: All properties with 1-9 residential units must use bins, 55 gallons or less, with secure lids for trash set out.

    June 2026: All properties with 1-9 residential units will be required to use the official NYC Bin for trash set out.

    If you already use a bin with a secure lid that is 55 gallons or less for trash set out, you may continue to use it until June 2026.

    After that, you will need to switch to the Official NYC Bin.
    Learn more about NYC Bin requirements.

    You do not need to use a specific NYC Bin for composting, but they are available for purchase. Compost must be set out in sealed bins of 55 gallons or less. Curbside Composting service is now available to all NYC residents citywide. 

    Find out more about Curbside Composting.

  • There is a warning period in effect until January 2, 2025.

    Starting January 3, 2025, fines will be imposed to property owners for non-compliance:

    • $50 for the first offense

    • $100 for the second offense

    • $200 for subsequent offenses 

  • If you already use a bin with a secure lid that is 55 gallons or less for trash set out, you may continue to use it until June 2026.

    After that, you will need to switch to the official NYC Bin, which are available at a significantly lower price than similar bins at retail stores at www.bins.nyc or by calling 1-855-NYC-BINS.

    Separate NYC Bins are also available for purchase for recycling and composting, though they are not required.

  • The property owner must purchase the new trash bins.

    Property owners and building managers are responsible for ensuring that enough bins are available to accommodate all the trash generated by residents in their buildings.

LITTER BASKETS

  • You can request a litter basket by contacting 311.

    You may also want to reach out to your local City Council Member or other elected official to help request more bins in your neighborhood.

  • Please call 311 or file a complaint online at nyc.gov/311 to report litter basket conditions.

  • No. Litter baskets are for pedestrians to throw away light trash — not household or commercial waste. Dog waste is ok, but please put it in a bag and tie it up first.

  • It depends on the needs of the area. Litter baskets are emptied anywhere from twice per week to three times per day. The Adams Administration vastly increased this basket service to the highest level ever — more than 50,000 times more per week than before.

  • Please call 311 or file a complaint online at nyc.gov/311 to report overflowing or unmanaged litter basket conditions.

  • Please call 311 or file a complaint online at nyc.gov/311 to report litter basket conditions such as a litter basket disappearance.

    There are many reasons why a litter basket may or may not be present on a street corner. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your local elected official or City Council Member for help re-obtaining a litter basket or further inquiring into the issue.

TAKING ACTION

  • We love that you want to get engaged and help create a cleaner city!

    If you'd like to take action as an individual, consider joining our Adopt Your Spot NYC program. You pledge to take care of a "spot" in your neighborhood that's near/dear to you. We'll send you tools/supplies to get you started and invite you to join our active whatsapp community!

    If you'd like to lead cleanups, as an individual or with your organization, we'd love to support your efforts. Learn more about our community steward programs where you can
    apply for materials and resources for your group.

    DSNY also offers a Volunteer Cleanup Program that provides tool rentals as well as post-cleanup bag pickup. Visit 311 for an overview of the program, or email customerservice@dsny.nyc.gov to get started.

  • There are a few simple tips you can adopt to avoid littering! Such as:

    — Hold onto your waste until you find a trash bin.

    — Don't add more stuff to an overflowing bin — wait to find another bin, as overflowing bins can lead to litter as their contents get blown onto the street by the wind.

    — Make sure you have all your trash when you leave a public space, such as the subway, the park, a picnic, an outdoor concert, etc. In short, be sure to clean up after yourself!

    — Remind your property owners to clean up if you see that the sidewalk in front of your home or office has litter.

    — Don’t forget to move your car for Alternate Side Parking!

  • We’re glad you asked! Cigarette butts are small, but they make up a large presence of litter on NYC streets. If not disposed of properly, their chemical-filled filters can get blown around and make their way into our local waters, which is very problematic for marine life and water quality.

    Once you or someone is finished with a cigarette, be sure to extinguish it fully and place it in a litter basket. (And by “extinguished fully,” we mean fully! Please don’t accidentally set trash cans on fire!)

  • Property owners are required by law to remove or arrange for the removal of graffiti from their property.

    DSNY also offers free graffiti cleanup around NYC. You can submit a graffiti removal request via 311.

  • Yes. DSNY offers educational presentations such as Clean Buildings Trainings, a series of FREE courses to help New Yorkers keep buildings clean through best waste management and recycling practices.

COMPOST 101

  • “Curbside composting” refers to the collection of organic material – food scraps, food-soiled paper, leaves, and soil – separate from what’s traditionally collected in NYC: trash, and the recycling materials glass, plastic, metal, and paper.

    Curbside Composting is now available year-round in all five boroughs following a rollout that started in Queens and then Brooklyn.

    This is a free weekly service - DSNY collects your food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste each week on your regular recycling day. You can learn more at nyc.gov/curbsidecomposting.

    Additionally, you can find a drop-off location or Smart Composting Bin near you at nyc.gov/dropfoodscraps.

    You can get started composting by setting aside your compostable waste when cooking, or any other time you have food scraps and leftovers. If you don’t have a compost bin, here’s a pro tip: put food scraps in your freezer until you’re able to get to a drop-off site or a Smart Compost Bin!

  • According to a 2023 study by DSNY, one-third of what New Yorkers put in trash is material that could be composted. The goal of curbside composting is to stop this organic material from being sent to trash landfills, where it decomposes into methane, a harmful gas, and instead collect it for processing into compost for parks and gardens, or into renewable energy and fertilizer.

    Besides the positive environmental impact of composting, the use of sealed bins to store organic material might also help reduce New York’s rat population.

    From DSNY: “Curbside composting is an important part of the city’s war on rats. By removing food waste from black bags and putting it into sealed containers, we take rat food off our streets. And if rats can’t feed, they can’t breed."

    "When you don't separate that material, it sits in your trash. It attracts rats. It goes to a landfill and it becomes nothing,” says Joshua Goodman, DSNY’s deputy commissioner. “When you participate in the Curbside Composting program, it either becomes renewable energy to heat and power homes or it becomes soil, compost – usable soil to add to our community gardens, to our parks, to your home gardens as well."

  • Some of it goes to compost facilities in New Jersey or to a site in Staten Island, which recently expanded to take in more food waste. At the latter, the material is set into 10-foot-tall rows (called windrows), where it gets turned and aerated over time and broken down into finished compost. It may be sold to landscapers or given away to residents and community groups.

    If you'd like free compost - you can find a pickup point close to you here.

    Some of the waste goes to anaerobic digesters, large sealed containers that store it while bacteria break it down. The largest hub for this process is in Newtown Creek in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where “eggs” convert the waste into biogas (a renewable fuel) that can go into the grid to power homes.

    (NYT - article 10/824)

  • Curbside Composting is now available to NYC residents in all five boroughs following a rollout that started in Queens and then Brooklyn.

    It is the nation's largest residential curbside organics program.

  • You can include ALL leaf and yard waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper. This includes meat, bones, dairy, prepared foods, and greasy uncoated paper plates and pizza boxes.

  • You can use any bin (55 gallons or less in size) as long as it has a secure lid. Don’t forget to label it “Compost” so that the Sanitation Workers can see it. You can order free decals and signage from DSNY.

    Buildings can use their own bins or order a free one from DSNY. Trash bins, including compost bins, are also available at a favorable price through DSNY's partnership here.

    We recommend lining your bin with a clear plastic liner (it doesn’t need to be compostable). When you’re ready to set the bin out at the curb for collection, leave the bag in the bin, but tie it closed and make sure the lid to your bin is shut securely. Using a bag not only helps keep your bin clean, but also helps prevent spillage during collection — keeping your street clean!

  • Compost should be set out for collection in bins that have a secure lid, that hold 55 gallons or less, and that are lined with a clear plastic bag, a compostable bag or a paper bag.

    You can also place smaller bags of compostable materials inside the bag that lines your bin.

    There is a sorting process with machines that separate bags from organic material. This is one of the innovations that makes this program easy for all New Yorkers to participate in.



  • Curbside Composting is mandatory. If your building isn’t participating, they are subject to fines.

    ALL NYC residents are required to separate food scraps, food-soiled paper, or yard waste from trash.

    As of April 1, 2025, property owners may receive a fine if compostable material is not separated from trash.

    For the latest on fines and enforcement: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/residents/collection-laws-residents.page#plant-food-waste


    Property owners and managers of buildings can request a presentation for their residents, to have DSNY staff attend their event and help educate people about recycling, Curbside Composting, and other DSNY programs.

    Residents can report residential building owners who fail to provide tenants with a designated area for trash or recycling storage.

  • ALL NYC residents are required to separate food scraps, food-soiled paper, or yard waste from trash.

    As of April 1, 2025, property owners may receive a fine if compostable material is not separated from trash.

    For more on fines and enforcement:

    https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/residents/collection-laws-residents.page#plant-food-waste

  • Some businesses are currently required to compost. Learn more about the requirements on the DSNY site.

  • There are about 400 Smart Bins across the city, available for anyone to use at any time. They accept the same items as curbside service.

    They are called "smart bins" for a reason. You’ll need to download an app to use them. You can do that here to find and unlock our Smart Composting Bins around the city.

    Smart Composting Bins accept all food scraps, plant waste, and food-soiled paper. This includes meat, bones, dairy, prepared foods, and greasy uncoated paper plates and pizza boxes.

    (Please do not compost any recyclable items, or any trash such as diapers, personal hygiene products, animal waste, wrappers, non-paper packaging, and foam products.)

    Wondering why they’re locked? Locking them makes the practice of composting more intentional and prevents the compostable material from being contaminated with trash.

  • A biodegradable material is completely organic, and will break down on its own. A compostable material, like a manufactured compostable paper or a compostable cup, requires more specific conditions to break down into compost. In either case, in our urban setting, organic breakdown of both biodegradable and compostable waste won't just happen on the side of the street or in a tree bed — in other words, just because something is biodegradable, like an apple core or a banana peel, doesn't mean that you can chuck that item on the street! Please place all such waste in a compost bin, if not the trash.

REUSE AND RECYCLING

  • It’s true! If you have items that are in good condition, consider finding a place to donate them through nyc.gov/donate. If it’s not usable, then check to see if it can be recycled before throwing it in the trash. Recycling is mandatory in NYC, but our recycling rules may be different from other places, so know before you throw! Check out this comprehensive list of what can and cannot be recycled in NYC.

  • DSNY provides free, weekly curbside collection of your paper and cardboard, metal, glass, plastic, and cartons. Learn how to properly sort, store and set out your recycling for collection. You can be fined if you don’t recycle correctly!

    DSNY offers free decals, signage and educational materials at nyc.gov/sanitationmaterials to help you set up your recycling areas correctly.

HOW DO I GET RID OF…

  • DSNY provides free curbside removal of large non-commercial, large items (items that do not fit into a container or bag). Set your large items out at the curb next to your trash. You can set out up to six items (bags, bundles) per collection day. If you have a large quantity of items (for example, more than a dozen) you should consider placing them out over several collection days.

    Check your collection schedule for information about pickup of large items in your neighborhood. If items are in good condition, consider donating first! Check on social media for local “Buy Nothing” groups in your neighborhood or find a place to drop off at nyc.gov/donate.

  • It’s illegal to put some electronics in the trash or curbside recycling as they may contain harmful materials that are toxic to people and the environment. You can safely get rid of computers, computer accessories, TVs, video equipment, portable electronic devices, and other home electronics like digital picture frames and VR headsets by:

    — Bringing them to a DSNY Special Waste Drop-Off Site or SAFE Disposal Event.

    — Contacting the company you bought an item from and seeing if they have a recycling take-back program.

    — Enrolling your building (10 or more units) in ecycleNYC — a free DSNY program in partnership with Electronic Recyclers International (ERI) that collects e-waste from a designated location inside your building.

    If you’re wondering if your electronics qualify as e-waste, check the DSNY site. If you don’t see something specific, check out the New York State Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act’s full list of designated items.

    Feel free to check out DSNY’s Clean Buildings Trainings for more information on managing special waste in a building!

  • DSNY provides a list of places to donate clothing on its textile recycling drop-off map.

    DSNY has partnered with PaintCare, to offer leftover paint drop-off sites throughout the City. You can also bring paint to a Special Waste Site or SAFE Disposal Event.

    We also recommend checking into special recycling services such as TerraCycle.

ALL ABOUT SNOW

  • Yes. You must clear a path in the sidewalk in front of your building that is at least four feet wide to allow pedestrians to pass. Snow and ice must be removed from around fire hydrants and sidewalk curb-cuts and ramps. If the snow or ice has become so frozen it cannot be removed, sidewalks should be strewn with granular material like salt or sand to improve traction and prevent slipping.

    Snow and ice must be cleared from sidewalks within specific timeframes:

    — Snowfall ends between 7:00 AM and 4:59 PM - Clear within 4 hours

    — Snowfall ends between 5:00 PM and 8:59 PM - Clear within 14 hours

    — Snowfall ends between 9:00 PM and 6:59 AM - Clear sidewalks by 11:00 AM

    (If the snow stops falling at 7:00 PM, building owners/occupants must clear a path in the snow that is at least four feet wide, or salt or sand the sidewalk by 9:00 AM the following morning.)

    The sidewalk must be thoroughly cleaned as soon as the weather permits.

    NOTE: DO NOT shovel, blow, or push snow into the street.

    If a path is not cleared or within the given timeframe, you may have to pay a fine of up to $250.

  • DSNY begins plowing every single street in NYC as soon as two inches of snow has fallen. During snow events, you can track our snow removal progress citywide. Track our snow removal with PlowNYC.

    Want to learn more about DSNY’s work cleaning up after snowstorms? Check out our blog!


If you have a question/concern that isn’t answered here, please let us know. Email us at info@sanitationfoundation.org.