DSNY Announces New Food Waste Separation Rules

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has announced new rules that will expanding the city’s existing commercial organic waste separation program. Some larger restaurants, chain restaurants and grocery stories are now required to find a beneficial use for food waste instead of sending it to be landfilled.

“Businesses need to reduce, reuse and recycle their food scraps and waste. It’s critical to meeting the city’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals,” said Kathryn Garcia, commissioner of DSNY, in a statement. “The department incorporated feedback it received from a public hearing and from citizens, business owners, industry representatives and other interested stakeholders as we worked through the rulemaking process. We are beginning our outreach to the covered businesses to educate them on the new rules. We are confident they will be able to succeed and meet our expectations.”

Restaurants with a floor area of at least 15,000 square feet, chain restaurants with 100 or more locations in the city and grocery stores with at least 25,000 square feet of floor area space will all be required to adhere to the new rules.

The rules will take effect in August 2018, but they won’t be enforced until February 2019 to allow time for education and outreach.