Composting has been the law of the land in New York City since October , when new regulations began to require every resident across the five boroughs to separate their organic waste and food scraps from their regular trash.
But there’s a problem: Only a small fraction of New Yorkers are complying with the rule. Public data shows less than 5% of the city’s household organic waste is currently being diverted from landfills.
The conundrum sets the stage for an enforcement blitz come April 1, when the sanitation department can begin issuing fines starting at $25 to landlords who buck the compost mandate. The rule will be enforced by inspectors who check garbage bags for illicit organic waste, according to sanitation officials…