A. asked: “The city says we can line the brown bins with plastic bags, but it feels like it is not in the spirit of composting. Is that correct?”

So the composting rules for the new brown bins allow them to be lined with clear plastic, paper or compostable bags or (the best option, but a challenge for people without a hose) not at all. I thought the plastic allowance was odd too, so I checked with the Department of Sanitation. Turns out they can pull the bags out.

“Yes, it is a sorting process,” said the DSNY spokesman. “We have machines that separate bags from organic material. As such, we encourage residents to use a clear plastic bag, a compostable bag or a paper bag to line their compost bin.

“This is one of the innovations that makes this program easy for all New Yorkers to participate in.”

And he added the photos here of the Tiger sorting machine at the Staten Island Compost Facility.