New NYC Smart Compost Bins Installed Near Columbia's Morningside Campus
The NYC Smart Compost bin program is expanding throughout the city, including three new bins on Broadway near Morningside campus. New Yorkers can use these bins to drop off food scraps 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, helping reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.
NYC Smart Compost bin locations
Currently, there are Smart Compost bins installed at:
- Broadway & 112th Street
- Amsterdam & 113th Street
- Amsterdam & 114th Street
Open NYC Smart Compost bins using a simple app. Bins are emptied on a regular basis and the scraps are composted to beautify green spaces across the city. Download the NYC Smart Compost app for free for Android and iOS.
What items can be composted?
All food scraps, plant waste, and food-soiled paper can be composted. This includes meat, bones, dairy, prepared foods, and greasy uncoated paper plates and pizza boxes.
Please do not compost trash such as diapers, personal hygiene products, animal waste, wrappers, non-paper packaging, and foam products. You should also refrain from composting recyclable materials, which should instead be placed in the proper recycling bin.
More NYC composting options to come
During the State of the City address, Mayor Eric Adams announced that curbside composting will be expanded to all five boroughs by the end of 2024. The city has released the following timeline for when people in each borough can expect the program to start in their neighborhoods:
- Queens: March 27, 2023
- Brooklyn: Oct. 2, 2023
- Bronx and Staten Island: March 25, 2024
- Manhattan: Oct. 7, 2024
Other ways to compost at Columbia
Columbia Dining
Learn more about composting in Columbia Dining locations on their website.
Broadway Greenmarket
The Broadway Greenmarket has a food scrap and textile collection site every Thursday and Sunday through GrowNYC. Check their site for a list of what can and cannot be composted.