NYC iconic compost bin gets a cool kids makeover

New York City has its obvious icons: The Statue of Liberty; Milton’ Glaser’s I “heart” New York logo; yellow cabs. Lesser known, but no less iconic, is the city’s compost bins.

You know a NYC compost bin when you see one. Dirt brown, with a bright orange clasp, they roll out on recycling day, filled with gloriously stinky food scraps. NYC distributed the large brown bins for free in 2024, but not every household got one before the sanitation department OK’d using any bin (55 gallons or less) for composting.

Now the bins have been shrunk down to the scale of your kitchen, and we have to admit: We really want one. OnlyNY is selling a tabletop compost bin at the center of a capsule in collaboration with the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY), inspired by the city’s curbside compost containers. With an airtight lid and an eight liter capacity, it was “designed to make home composting a simple, learned habit.”

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The tabletop compost bin is currently available for presale at $48, with orders shipping at the end of June. Proceeds from its sales will directly benefit the city. 

Only NY has been a license partner of NYC since 2015. The tabletop compost bins are part of their ongoing series with the DSNY and belong to the brand’s NYC collection—which also includes collaborations with NYC Parks, the City of New York and the Department of Transportation.

A high design…compost bin?

The tabletop compost bin’s printed graphics and typeface caught people’s attention, receiving positive remarks on social media. Many praised the bins in quote replies to an X post by the NYC Sanitation account. 

“Hate to be a font snob but that font is it. It’s the font. Commanding yet also kind of surprisingly casual,” said one user. 

The graphics and typeface were created by co-founder and creative director of Only NY, Micah Belamarich and Zach Reyes, Only NY’s lead designer. 

“The ‘New York City Composts’ type is a treated version of a typeface we have been using for over 10 years as part of our brand identity across logos and graphics. It draws inspiration from New York City PSA-style typography that we love, with an impactful, strong serif feel and tight kerning,” Belamarich said in an email to Fast Company.

A user on X said the compost bin and collection is, “such a good refresher for the eyes after that stupid palantir merch.”

“I’m the target audience for this,” posted another. 

“We are thrilled by the response and engagement so far,” said Belamarich in an email. “This is the first time we have touched on composting, and it is something we feel passionate about.”

Only NY describes its tabletop compost bin as a“functional everyday kitchen object” to help New Yorkers compost more easily. 

Complete with a carry handle for easy transport, the bin resembles that of a bag—with Only NY proving that composting can be as stylish as it is sustainable.  

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