NEW YORK – The Adams administration is continuing its effort to clean up New York City streets, literally.
New York City’s 8.3 million residents produce some 14 billion pounds of trash per year, according to officials. But the ubiquitous piles of garbage bags on New York City streets are soon to be a thing of the past, officials said. They announced Monday that all residential buildings with 1-9 units will be required to put their trash in containers as of Nov. 12.
Once the rule takes effect, officials say 70% of all trash in New York City will be containerized.
NYC now has it’s own official trash bin
What’s more, to make it happen, New York City now has its first-ever official trash, recycling and compost bins, which are designed to work with the city’s fleet of sanitation vehicles.
NYC Mayor’s Office
“The public space has been hijacked. We all see it: Mounds and mounds and mounds of plastic bags,” Adams said. “By November 12, we will have containerized 70% of our city’s 14 billion pounds of annual trash.”
“Many property owners already use bins for their trash — and pay over $100 retail in order to keep the streets clean,” DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. “Well, we’ve got great news: at the same time that we’re moving to require containerization of trash for all buildings with one to nine residential units, we’re unveiling the official ‘NYC Bin’ — beautiful, durable, and less than $50 for the most common size.”
Putting the trash in containers will also help combat the city’s ever-present rat problem.
“We all have a unified dislike, and those are those pesky New York City rats,” Adams said.
“People wonder why we have a rat problem in this city. Well, duh. Maybe because historically we’ve left 16 billion pounds out for them to eat every year,” Tisch said.
“With this next step in the Department of Sanitation’s ‘Trash Revolution,’ New York City continues its efforts to systematically deny rats a curbside buffet and get black bags off our streets,” Rat Czar Kathleen Corradi said.
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“When it’s on the ground, it attracts rodents and pests and spills onto the sidewalks and makes a mess, so I think it’d be great to get it into bins,” Manhattan resident Emily Chapin said.
“To keep the rats away, it’s a good idea. I think they’ll follow it. I know I will,” Manhattan resident Tamera Pearsall said.
The official bins have wheels and a latching lid. Officials tout it as “the cheapest bin of its quality available.” The bins are available for purchase online, and bear the New York City Department of Sanitation seal.
The trash and recycling bins come in two sizes:
- 35 gallons, which costs $45.88
- 45 gallons, which costs $53.01
A 21 gallon compost bin costs $43.47. The city says the prices include shipping and handling, and is “a significantly lower price than similar bins at retail stores.
How the program will work
Buildings that already use containers to put out their trash have an 18 month grace period for replacing them with the official bin, as long as their existing trash bins are 55 gallons or less and also have a latching lid. As of June 1, 2026, those buildings will be required to use the official bin. The rule only applies to trash and compost bins, but recycling bins are also available for purchase.
It’s just the latest move in an effort to fight rats and clean up the streets. In 2023, the city changed garbage set-out times from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and this year containerization took effect for businesses in the city.
There are more steps to come. In the spring of 2025, officials will install stationary, on-street containers as part of a pilot program in Manhattan’s Hamilton Heights, Manhattanville and Morningside Heights neighborhoods. Those containers will be serviced by new DSNY trucks that have automated side-loading.
