Nearly 18,000 pounds of trash and recycling are collected in Madison Square Park each month. This waste is challenging for staff to manage, and can harm the plants and wildlife living in the park. Managing this waste also creates greenhouse gas emissions which threaten the future of our city and park.

To lessen the waste collected in the park and reduce emissions, we’ve committed to providing our community with programs aimed at waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting to divert 40% of the waste collected in the park from landfills by 2025.

In recent years, the park has seen a significant increase in waste from fast-casual restaurants in the neighborhood. While these are great places to grab healthy and convenient lunches that you can enjoy in the park, most distribute single-use packaging and utensils which greatly contribute to the waste our team is responsible for managing.

With the help of partner organizations, and by working with local restaurants, we hope to make it easier for you to remember your reusables and say no to single-use items when ordering carry out. We’ve already made it easier to compost at home with our Food Scrap Drop-off, and will continue to grow our compost program by offering collection at all times in the park. We will also improve the park’s recycling program, starting by providing helpful tips for separating your recyclables and organic waste after finishing your lunch.

Join us for a pop-up event throughout the park on March 25th to learn how you can help us better manage waste and create a cleaner, greener future for the park.