‘Black gold’: Big Apple gives away 5M pounds of compost produced from city’s recycled table scraps
New York City has distributed 5 million pounds of compost made from recycled table scraps to residents across its five boroughs. This initiative, part of a mandatory composting program, has been embraced by urban farmers who report significant improvements in their crops. Queens has emerged as the leading borough in compost distribution, followed closely by Staten Island.
- ▪The city has given away 5 million pounds of compost produced from recycled food waste.
- ▪Queens has distributed over 1.3 million pounds of compost, making it the top borough for compost giveaways.
- ▪Residents have reported enhanced growth in their gardens using the compost, which they refer to as 'Black Gold'.
- ▪The Department of Sanitation has resumed fines for those who do not comply with composting regulations.
- ▪Compost-loving residents can take home up to ten 40-pound bags from designated sites throughout the city.
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Metro ‘Black gold’: Big Apple gives away 5M pounds of compost produced from city’s recycled table scraps By Katherine Donlevy and Jennifer Bain Published May 29, 2026, 12:47 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google New York’s new symbol could be a rotten apple. The city’s nastiest table scraps — from old coffee filters to spoiled spinach bunches and greasy boxes — are being recycled back into food and flowers, as residents across the five boroughs have collected some 5 million pounds of decayed waste produced under New York’s controversial composting law. An estimated 10,000 urban farmers have used the recycled scraps — which they dub “Black Gold” — to nourish their home gardens and grow what they say are “unbelievable” crops.
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