Open Hours

Updated September 15, 2023

Tuesdays 1:30 pm – 4 pm
Sundays 12 pm – 4 pm

Food Waste Drop-off: all year.
—We accept all food waste, incl. meats, bones, dairy, seafood, raw, cooked, oyster and clam shells, coconut shells, etc. We also take brown paper bags, egg cartons, and compostable bowls, cups, and utensils.
When bringing plant matter, please keep them separate from the food waste.
Leaf Drop-off: all year.
—We accept leaves, plant discards, tree branches, and unused potted soil ALL YEAR ROUND.

Fall Leaf Drop-Off Hours

We accept leaves, as well as, plant discards, tree branches, and unused potted soil.

October 26 – December 30, 2021

Same time as our public food waste drop-off hours.
When the garden is open:

Tuesdays 1:30 – 3:30 pm

Thursdays 3:30 – 6 pm

Saturdays 2 – 4 pm

For more information and other leaf drop-off sites, visit nyc.gov/drop-fall-leaves

Food Waste Drop-Off Notice, Updated

For our 24-hour drop-off to resume: 

  1. We need volunteers*.
    To volunteer, go to downtoearthgarden.org/volunteer (online signup form).
    * Goal: 14+ volunteers, 2 per day, each choosing a day/week, + backups.
  1. Sanitation (DSNY) to restart their Curbside Composting**.
    Resumption of DSNY’s pickup service depends on how many have signed up within the neighborhood. Please have your building consider signing up: nyc.gov/curbsidecomposting

** Curbside Composting (organic waste pickup) — Pre-pandemic, DSNY picked up about 40% of our food waste; we composted 60% in-garden.
So, in order for a 24-hour drop-off to not overwhelm us, we need both: volunteers and DSNY to resume their pickup.

For further information, visit downtoearthgarden.org/composting