Established in 2011, the GrowNYC Compost Program strives to make composting second-nature for all New Yorkers by operating residential Food Scrap Drop-off sites and partnering with community composting facilities to make compost locally. Currently re-building and fundraising in the wake of budget cuts related to COVID-19, the Compost Program has re-opened 52 food scrap drop-off sites serving 7 thousand regular weekly participants, diverting over 25 tons of food scraps from landfills each week. 

See below for updates on GrowNYC locations, and check the citywide map for more options.

Save our Zero Waste Programs

GrowNYC Food Scrap Drop-off sites are funded by the NYC Department of Sanitation through June 30th, 2022. The future of this and other GrowNYC Zero Waste Programs is currently being negotiated for the upcoming City budget. You can get involved by signing our petition to Save GrowNYC Zero Waste Programs. You can also support our work by donating here.

Food Scrap Drop-off Schedule

Please see our list of what to bring and adhere to the drop-off schedule at each location (do not bring food scraps to closed sites). Food scraps cannot be accepted outside of stated open hours. All locations are year-round unless otherwise noted.

2022 Spring Compost Giveback

Our annual act of reciprocity, closing the loop, and giving thanks: the Compost Giveback is starting! Visit grownyc.org/getcompost to learn how it's made and how to use it, and check the schedule to see when free bags of locally-made compost will be available at your local Food Scrap Drop-off site.

E-Newsletter

Sign up for Compost Schedule Alerts to receive emails about compost schedule updates in your borough.

In cases of severe weather, collections may close early or be cancelled.  Please drop early and check our blog or follow us on social media for schedule updates.

BOROUGH	LOCATION	DAY	TIME	OPERATED BY	PROCESSED BY	FLYER
Bronx	BronxWorks Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center 1130 Grand Concourse	Thursdays Starting 1/6/22	10am-1pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Bronx	Fordham Plaza Food Scrap Drop-off E Fordham Rd & 3rd Ave	Fridays	8am-11:30am	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Bronx	Lincoln Hospital Greenmarket 149th St b/t Park and Morris Aves CLOSED FOR THE SEASON	Fridays	8am-12pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Bronx	Montefiore's Bronx Health Collective Fresh Food Box 871 Prospect Ave	Fridays	11am-2pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Bronx	Morrisania Food Scrap Drop-off McKinley Square at 169th St & Boston Rd	Wednesdays	10am-1pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Bronx	Mott Haven Food Scrap Drop-off 545 East 142nd Street	Wednesdays	9am-12pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Bronx	New Roots Community Farm 670 Grand Concourse	Fridays	8am-12pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Bronx	Norwood Farmstand E Gun Hill Rd & Dekalb Ave	Thursdays	9am-2pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Bronx	Parkchester Food Scrap Drop-off Westchester Ave & White Plains Rd	Fridays	8am-12pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Brooklyn	7th Ave Sunset Park Greenmarket 7th Ave & 44th St	Saturdays	8am-12pm	GrowNYC	DSNY	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Bay Ridge Food Scrap Drop-off 3rd Ave & 95th Street	Saturdays	8am-12:30pm	GrowNYC	DSNY	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Bed-Stuy Fresh Food Box Decatur St and Lewis Ave	Saturdays	11am-3pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Bensonhurst Food Scrap Drop-off 18th Ave & 81st St	Sundays	9am-1pm	GrowNYC	Earth Matter	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket Court St & Montague St	Saturdays	8am-12pm	GrowNYC	Big Reuse	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Carroll Gardens Greenmarket Smith St and 1st Pl	Sundays	8am-12pm	GrowNYC	Big Reuse & Earth Matter	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Cortelyou Greenmarket Argyle Rd and Cortelyou Rd	Sundays	9am-1pm	GrowNYC	Big Reuse & Earth Matter	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Crown Heights Farmstand Nostrand Ave and Crown St	Fridays	9am-2pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Crown Heights Franklin Ave Food Scrap Drop-off Eastern Parkway & Franklin Ave	Thursdays	8:30am-11:30am	GrowNYC	DSNY	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Cypress Hills Food Scrap Drop-off Fulton St & Richmond St	Fridays	10am-1pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Ft. Greene Greenmarket Washington Park & Myrtle Ave	Saturdays	9am-2pm	GrowNYC	Big Reuse & WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket Flatbush Ave & Eastern Pkwy (north of the arch)	Saturdays	8am-2pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Kensington Food Scrap Drop-off McDonald Ave & Albemarle Rd	Saturdays	8:30am-11:30am	GrowNYC	DSNY	Coming soon
Brooklyn	McCarren Park Greenmarket N 12th St and Driggs Ave	Saturdays	8am-12pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Prospect Heights Food Scrap Drop-off Park Place & Carlton Ave	Thursdays	8am-11am	GrowNYC	DSNY	Coming soon
Brooklyn	Wilson Ave Food Scrap Drop-off Wilson Ave & Moffat St	Thursdays	9am-1pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Manhattan	79th St Greenmarket 77th St between Columbus Ave & Central Park West	Sundays	9am-3pm	GrowNYC	Earth Matter	Coming soon
Manhattan	E 96th Street Food Scrap Drop-off East 96th St & Lexington Ave	Fridays	7:30am-11:30am	GrowNYC	DSNY	Coming soon
Manhattan	97th Street Greenmarket W 97th & Amsterdam	Fridays	8am-12:30pm	GrowNYC	DSNY & WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Manhattan	145th St Food Scrap Drop-off 145th St & Edgecombe Ave	Thursdays	7:30am-12pm	GrowNYC	DSNY & WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Manhattan	181st Street Food Scrap Drop-off 181st St & Fort Washington Ave	Thursdays	7am-12:30pm	GrowNYC	DSNY & WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Manhattan	Abingdon Square Greenmarket W12th St & 8th Ave	Saturdays	8am-2pm	GrowNYC	Big Reuse	Coming soon
Manhattan	Asphalt Green Food Scrap Drop-off East 91st St & York Ave	Sundays	7:30am-12:30pm	GrowNYC	Big Reuse & Earth Matter	Flyer
Manhattan	Bowling Green Greenmarket Broadway at Battery Place	Tuesdays	8am-11am	Earth Matter	Earth Matter	Coming soon
Manhattan	Columbia University Greenmarket 116th St & Broadway	Sundays	8am-12pm	GrowNYC	Earth Matter	Coming soon
Manhattan	Dag Hammarskjold Plaza Greenmarket E. 47th St. and 2nd Ave.	Wednesdays	8am-12:30pm	GrowNYC	DSNY	Coming soon
Manhattan	Inwood Greenmarket Seaman Ave & Isham St (N corner)	Saturdays	8am-12pm	GrowNYC	Big Reuse	Coming soon
Manhattan	Madison Square Park Food Scrap Drop-off 23rd St & Broadway	Wednesdays	8am-1pm	GrowNYC	DSNY	Coming soon
Manhattan	Stuy Town Greenmarket Stuyvesant Town Oval, near 14th Street Loop	Sundays	9:30am-1:30pm	GrowNYC & LESEC	LESEC	Coming soon
Manhattan	Tompkins Square Greenmarket E 7th St & Ave A	Sundays	9am-5pm	LESEC	LESEC	Coming soon
Manhattan	Tribeca Greenmarket Greenwich St & Duane St	Saturdays	8am-1pm	GrowNYC	Big Reuse	Coming soon
Manhattan	Tucker Square Greenmarket 66th St & Columbus Ave	Thursdays	8am-11am	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Manhattan	Union Square Greenmarket NE Section of Union Square Park	Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat	8am-5pm	LESEC	LESEC	Coming soon
Manhattan	Uptown Grand Central Fresh Food Box 125th St & Park Ave	Wednesdays	2pm-7pm	Uptown Grand Central	Earth Matter	Coming soon
Queens	Corona Food Scrap Drop-off Roosevelt Ave & 103 St	Fridays	8am-1pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Queens	Forest Hills Greenmarket 70th Ave & Austin St	Sundays Starting 12/19/21	9am-1pm	GrowNYC	DSNY	Coming soon
Queens	Jackson Heights Greenmarket 79th St and Northern Blvd	Sundays	8:30am-2pm	GrowNYC	DSNY	Coming soon
Queens	Kew Gardens Food Scrap Drop-off Metropolitan Ave & Audley St	Thursdays	9:30am-12:30pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Queens	Ridgewood Food Scrap Drop-off Myrtle Ave & Cypress Ave	Saturdays	9:30am-1:30pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Queens	Sunnyside Greenmarket Skillman Ave & 42nd St	Saturdays	9am-1pm	GrowNYC	WM CORe / Newtown Creek WWTP	Coming soon
Staten Island	St. George Greenmarket St. Marks & Hyatt St	Saturdays	8am-12pm	Snug Harbor	Snug Harbor	Coming soon
Staten Island	Staten Island Mall Greenmarket Marsh Avenue & Ring Road CLOSED FOR THE SEASON	Saturdays	8:30am-1pm	Snug Harbor	Snug Harbor	Coming soon

Key:
DSNY = NYC Department of Sanitation
LESEC = Lower East Side Ecology Center

Frequently Asked Questions

Why compost?
Composting is one of the easiest things that everyone can do to improve the environment, with benefits including:

• Sending Zero Waste to Landfills - over ⅓ of New York City’s residential waste stream is made up of organic waste that could be composted, including food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste.
• Fighting Climate Change - making compost locally cuts down on carbon emissions from hauling trash long distances, and methane emissions generated by anaerobic decomposition of food waste in landfills.
• Turning Waste into a Resource - compost is a valuable fertilizer that returns nutrients to soil and helps plants thrive. Food scraps dropped-off with GrowNYC become compost that is distributed for free to community gardens, urban farms, neighborhood parks, street tree beds, and members of the public.
• Keeping it Local - food scraps collected by GrowNYC are processed locally in partnership with NYC Compost Project host sites and other partners, including Big Reuse, Earth Matter, Lower East Side Ecology Center, Queens Botanical Garden, Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, and Waste Management.

What can I compost with GrowNYC?

• Accepted Materials: fruit & vegetable scraps, non-greasy food scraps (rice, pasta, bread, grains, cereal), coffee grounds & filters, tea bags, egg shells & nuts, cut flowers & houseplants, soiled brown paper products, potting soil.
• Do Not Bring: meat, fish, bones, dairy, fat, oil, greasy food scraps, animal waste, charcoal, coconuts, plastics, twist ties, rubber bands, receipts, insect-infested plants, vines, excavated soil.

How should I store my food scraps?
Food scraps can be collected in reusable containers, paper bags, or plastic bags. To reduce odors at home and at the collection sites, store items in the freezer or refrigerator. A layer of shredded newspaper at the bottom of your storage container also helps.

How can I enroll in Curbside Composting?
Starting in October, 2021, The NYC Department of Sanitation's residential Curbside Composting service is resuming on a rolling basis based on the number of sign-ups in each neighborhood. Sign up at nyc.gov/curbsidecomposting.

How can I make compost at home?
We recommend reading the NYC Compost Project's Outdoor Composting Guide and Indoor Composting Guide for an introduction on the art and science of making compost. If you want to dig deeper, check out the Master Composter Manual and get involved with your nearest NYC Compost Project host site.

Can businesses drop off materials to compost?
No. Commercial food scraps are not accepted at these sites. Businesses should contact a hauler who can handle commercially-generated organic waste.

How has participation in the GrowNYC Compost Program changed over time?

The GrowNYC & DSNY Food Scrap Drop-off Program is a partnership between the City of New York, the NYC Department of Sanitation, GrowNYC, and community partners.