Our network of Greenmarket farmers markets, Farmstands, and Fresh Food Box pick-ups, coupled with GrowNYC Wholesale, ensures that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, healthiest local food.
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 15 food scrap drop-off sites serving 5 thousand regular weekly participants, diverting over 20 tons of food scraps from landfills each week.
Food Scrap Drop-off sites and Curbside Composting service were suspended throughout NYC in Spring of 2020 due to budget cuts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please see Notice on the Suspension of GrowNYC’s Recycling Programs for more information on GrowNYC’s zero waste programming.
Thanks to your support, GrowNYC and the NYC Compost Project are able to bring back a select number of food scrap drop-off sites in Fall 2020. See below for updates on GrowNYC locations, check the citywide map, and learn how else you can Keep Composting in NYC During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
To support our work, please donate here.
GrowNYC Collection Schedule
Most Food Scrap Drop-Off sites in NYC have been closed since March 2020 due to budget cuts related to COVID-19. Check the status (Open vs. Closed) of the GrowNYC Food Scrap Drop-off sites below for updates.
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.
E-Newsletter
Sign up for Food Scrap Drop-Off 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.
SOME FOOD SCRAP DROP-OFF SITES HAVE RE-OPENED. CHECK STATUS BELOW FOR UPDATES.
(Updated 12/2/20)
STATUS | BOROUGH | LOCATION | DAY | TIME | OPERATED BY | PROCESSED BY | FUNDED BY |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Open | Bronx | Fordham Plaza E Fordham Rd & 3rd Ave |
Fridays | 8am-11:30am | GrowNYC | Big Reuse | DSNY |
Open | Bronx | New Roots Community Farm 670 Grand Concourse |
Fridays | 8am-12pm | GrowNYC | Big Reuse | DSNY |
Open | Brooklyn | Bed Stuy Fresh Food Box Decatur St and Lewis Ave |
Saturdays | 11am-3pm | GrowNYC | Big Reuse | DSNY |
Open | Brooklyn | Carroll Gardens Greenmarket Smith St and 1st Pl |
Sundays | 8am-12pm | GrowNYC | Big Reuse & Earth Matter | DSNY |
Open | Brooklyn | Cortelyou Greenmarket Argyle Rd and Cortelyou Rd |
Sundays | 9am-1pm | GrowNYC | Earth Matter | DSNY |
Open | Brooklyn | Ft. Greene Greenmarket Washington Park & Myrtle Ave |
Saturdays | 9am-1pm | GrowNYC | Big Reuse & DSNY | DSNY |
Open | Brooklyn | McCarren Park Greenmarket N 12th St and Driggs Ave |
Saturdays | 8am-12pm | GrowNYC | Big Reuse & DSNY | DSNY |
Open | Manhattan | 79th St Greenmarket 77th St between Columbus Ave & Central Park West |
Sundays | 9am-3pm | GrowNYC | Earth Matter | Closed Loop Partners |
Open | Manhattan | E 96th Street Food Scrap Drop-off East 96th St & Lexington Ave |
Fridays Starting 4/2/21 |
7:30am-11:30am | GrowNYC | Big Reuse | DSNY |
Open | Manhattan | 97th Street Greenmarket W 97th & Amsterdam |
Fridays | 8am-12:30pm | GrowNYC | Big Reuse | DSNY |
Open | Manhattan | Abingdon Square Greenmarket W12th St & 8th Ave |
Saturdays | 8am-2pm | GrowNYC | Earth Matter | Closed Loop Partners |
Open | Manhattan | Bowling Green Greenmarket Broadway at Battery Place |
Tuesdays | 8am-10am | Earth Matter | Earth Matter | DSNY |
Open | Manhattan | Inwood Greenmarket Seaman Ave & Isham St (N corner) |
Saturdays | 8am-12pm | GrowNYC | Big Reuse | DSNY |
Open | Manhattan | Stuy Town Greenmarket Stuyvesant Town Oval, near 14th Street Loop |
Sundays | 9:30am-1:30pm | GrowNYC & LESEC | LESEC | City Council Member Keith Powers |
Open | Manhattan | Tompkins Square Greenmarket E 7th St & Ave A |
Sundays | 9am-5pm | LESEC | LESEC | DSNY |
Open | Manhattan | Tribeca Greenmarket Greenwich St & Duane St |
Saturdays | 8am-1pm | GrowNYC | Earth Matter | Closed Loop Partners |
Open | Manhattan | Union Square Greenmarket NE Section of Union Square Park |
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat | 8am-5pm | LESEC | LESEC | DSNY |
Open | Manhattan | William B. Washington Memorial Garden 321 West 126th Street |
Fridays | 8am-12:30pm | GrowNYC | Big Reuse | DSNY |
Open | Queens | Jackson Heights Greenmarket 79th St and Northern Blvd |
Sundays | 9am-1pm | GrowNYC & QBG | QBG | DSNY |
Open | Staten Island | St. George Greenmarket St. Marks & Hyatt St |
Saturdays | 8am-12pm | Snug Harbor | Snug Harbor | DSNY |
Closed | Bronx | 161st St - Yankee Stadium COTG 161st St & River Ave (4/B/D train) |
Fridays | 7:30am-11:30am | N/A | N/A |
N/A |
Closed | Bronx | Bronx Borough Hall Greenmarket Grand Concourse & 161st St |
Tuesdays Closed for the season |
8am-2pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Bronx | BronxWorks Fresh Food Box 1130 Grand Concourse, lobby |
Thursdays |
2pm-6pm |
N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Bronx | Brook Ave COTG 138th St & Brook Ave (6 train) |
Fridays | 7am-11am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Bronx | La Familia Verde Farmer's Market E Tremont Ave b/t Lafontaine & Arthur Aves |
Tuesdays |
9am-1pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Bronx | Learn It, Grow It, Eat It Youthmarket McKinley Square at 169th St & Boston Rd |
Wednesdays |
10am-3pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Bronx | Lincoln Hospital Greenmarket 149th St b/t Park and Morris Aves |
Fridays Closed for the season |
8am-12pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Bronx | New Settlement's 170 Farm Stand Townsend Ave & 170th St |
Wednesdays |
2:30pm-5:30pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Bronx | Parkchester Greenmarket Westchester Ave & White Plains Rd |
Fridays Closed for the season |
8am-2pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed |
Bronx |
Poe Park Greenmarket Grand Concourse & 192nd St |
Tuesdays |
8am-1:30pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Bronx |
Project HOPE Fresh Food Box |
Wednesdays | 3pm-6:30pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Brooklyn |
Bay Ridge Greenmarket |
Saturdays |
8am-1pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Brooklyn | Brooklyn Borough Hall Greenmarket Court & Montague |
Saturdays |
8am-2pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Brooklyn | Franklin Ave Compost On-the-Go Franklin Avenue & Eastern Parkway (2/3/4/5 trains) |
Tuesdays | 7:30am-10:30am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Brooklyn | Jefferson St COTG Wyckoff Ave & Starr St (SE Corner) (L Train) |
Thursdays | 7:30am-10:30am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Brooklyn | Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket NW corner of Prospect Park |
Saturdays | 8am-4pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Brooklyn |
Parkside Plaza COTG |
Thursdays |
7:30am-10:30am |
N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Brooklyn | Prospect Heights COTG Park Place & Carlton Ave (B/Q trains) |
Thursdays | 7am-10am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Brooklyn | Wilson Ave COTG Wilson Ave & Moffat St (L Train) |
Thursdays | 8am-11am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | 57th St Greenmarket 57th St & 10th Ave |
Saturdays |
8am-1pm |
N/A |
N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | 82nd St Greenmarket 82nd St b/t 1st & York |
Saturdays | 9am-1pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | 92nd Street Greenmarket 1st Ave b/t 92nd & 93rd Sts |
Sundays |
9am-1pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | 96th St COTG 96th St & Lexington Ave (6 train) |
Wednesdays |
7:15am-10:30am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | 116th St COTG 116th St & Lexington Ave (6 train) |
Wednesdays |
7:30am-10:30am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | 137th St - City College COTG 137th St & Broadway (1 train) |
Wednesdays |
7:15am-11am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | 145th St COTG 145th & Edgecombe (A/B/C/D trains) |
Wednesdays |
6:30am-10am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | 157th St COTG 157th St & Broadway (1 train) |
Wednesdays |
7am-11am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed |
Manhattan |
175th Street Greenmarket 175th St b/t Broadway & Wadsworth |
Thursdays Closed for the season |
8am-2pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | 181st St COTG Ft. Washington Ave & 181st St (NE corner) (A train) |
Wednesdays |
6:45am-11:15am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | Cathedral Parkway (110th St) COTG 110th St & Central Park West (B/C trains) |
Wednesdays |
6:45am-10:15am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | Central Park North (110th St) COTG 110th St, St. Nicholas & Lenox Ave (2/3 trains) |
Wednesdays |
7am-10:15am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | Columbia University Greenmarket Broadway b/t 114th & 115th Sts |
Sundays |
8am-1pm |
N/A |
N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | Dag Hammarskjold Plaza Greenmarket E 47th St & 2nd Ave |
Wednesdays |
8am-3pm |
N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | Dyckman St COTG Dyckman St & Broadway (A train) |
Wednesdays |
6:30am-11:30am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | Fort Washington Greenmarket 168th St & Ft. Washington Ave |
Tuesdays |
8am-3pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | Roosevelt Island Farmers Market Winter: Under the Helix, Main Street & Roosevelt Island Bridge Summer: Hope Church, Main St |
Saturdays | 9am-1:30pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | Lenox Hill Fresh Food Box 1st Ave b/t 70th St & 71st St |
Tuesdays | 3:30pm-6:30pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | Tucker Square Greenmarket 66th St at Columbus Ave |
Saturdays |
8am-1pm |
N/A |
N/A | N/A |
Closed | Manhattan | Uptown Grand Central Fresh Food Box 125th Street at Park Ave |
Wednesdays | 3pm-7pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Queens | Astoria - Broadway COTG Broadway & 31st St (N/W Trains) |
Fridays |
7:30am-10:30am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Queens | Briarwood COTG Queens Blvd & Main St (North Side) |
Tuesdays |
7:45am-10:45am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Queens | Corona Greenmarket Roosevelt Ave at 103rd St |
Fridays |
8am-3pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Queens | Ditmars COTG 31st St b/t 23rd Ave & Ditmars Blvd (N/W Trains) |
Fridays |
8am-11am | N/A |
N/A | N/A |
Closed | Queens |
Elmhurst COTG |
Tuesdays |
7am-10am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Queens | Forest Hills Greenmarket South side of Queens Blvd & 70th Ave |
Sundays |
8am-2pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Queens | Kew Gardens COTG Kew Gardens Rd & 81st Ave |
Tuesdays | 7:30am-10:30am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Queens | Rego Park COTG Queens Blvd & 63rd Dr (SE Corner) |
Tuesdays | 7:15am-10:15am | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Queens | Sunnyside Greenmarket Skillman Ave b/t 42nd & 43rd St |
Saturdays | 8am-2pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Closed | Staten Island | Staten Island Mall Greenmarket Marsh Ave & Ring Road (Parking Lot) |
Saturdays Closed for the season |
8am-1pm | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Key:
DSNY = NYC Department of Sanitation
LESEC = Lower East Side Ecology Center
QBG = NYC Compost Project hosted by Queens Botanical Garden
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 composted locally in partnership with NYC Compost Project host sites and other community partners, including Big Reuse, Earth Matter, Lower East Side Ecology Center, and Queens Botanical Garden.
What can I compost?
- 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, insect-infested plants, plastics, twist ties, rubber bands, or receipts.
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.
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 can I learn more about organics recycling in NYC?
Visit www.nyc.gov/organics to find workshops, guides for indoor and outdoor composting, a listing of community-based drop-off sites and to learn more about DSNY residential Organics Collection Program.
How has participation in the GrowNYC Compost Program changed over time?
The GrowNYC & DSNY Food Scrap Compost Program is a partnership between the City of New York, the NYC Department of Sanitation, GrowNYC, and community partners.