Since 1998, District Municipalities have had the option to participate in the Organic Yard Waste Program through a program-specific inter-municipal agreement. Municipalities can opt to host an organic site, but to benefit from having collection directly from their municipal yard, the host municipality must permit other IMA municipalities to deliver organic yard waste to the site.
The cost for organic yard waste is subsidized by the District so that the per ton cost is less than the cost to dispose of solid waste, thereby encouraging participation. The yard waste is collected by sub-contractors of MRF Operator, which haul the materials to commercial composting facilities.
In 2021, participating municipalities collected 97,906 tons of yard waste. Municipalities that currently host an Organic Yard Waste site are: Briarcliff Manor, Cortlandt, Croton, Eastchester, Greenburgh, Harrison, Irvington, Larchmont, Village and Town of Mamaroneck, Mt. Kisco, Mt. Vernon, New Rochelle, Ossining Village, Peekskill, Port Chester, Rye City, Scarsdale, Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, White Plains, and Yonkers.
At-home Composting
You can further reduce waste by composting fallen leaves, branches and organic wastes at home. The benefits of composting fall leaves, rather than putting them out for collection, include improving the health of your lawn and gardens as well as cost savings to your community. Grasscycling, which means recycling grass by leaving clippings on the lawn, and GreenScaping, to reduce lawn and yard maintenance, are other easy ways to make a difference.
Food scraps can also be composted along with yard waste in a compost bin or pile and transforming everyday kitchen and yard waste into rich, beneficial compost material. Cornell Waste Management Institute provides information for at home composters and educators seeking to promote composting. Residents, school groups, municipal leaders, and all those interested in learning more about compost are encouraged to tour the District's new CompostED Facility in Valhalla. The County's first small-scale food scrap composting demonstration and education site!