Soon, all NYC properties with 1-9 residential units and special use buildings that receive DSNY collection will need to have what’s been deemed the “official NYC bin for trash,” a requirement that will help containerize 70% of the city’s 14 billion pounds of annual trash in a two year time span.
The official unveil from NYC Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Commissioner Jessica Tisch occurred on Monday, July 8th as part of the city’s “Trash Revolution.” They’ve given affected property owners and building managers until November 12th to begin using the new bins. By that timeline, the bins should be ordered at the latest by October 1 to arrive in time. Noncompliant stakeholders will be subject to possible fines starting January 2, 2025.
Properties already using containers for trash will have an 18-month grace period, and be required to use the new official bin effective June 1, 2026.
NYC’s official trash bin features a secure attaching lid and wheels to assist the containers movement. So why this specific trash can? Well after the DSNY and the city’s Economic Development Corporation awarded consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, with a $4 million contract to handle NYC’s trash problem (in which the company was only paid $1.6 million), these bins were the solution.
According to the press release, it’s the cheapest bin of its quality, with similar containers sold at stores for thrice the price. Moreover, they’ve been “custom designed to work with our trucks, [and] are the key to keeping our most precious real estate — New York City sidewalks — clear,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi.
Keeping NYC sidewalks clear doesn’t just aid with aesthetics, but also mitigates New York City’s rat mitigation problem, echoes Director of Citywide Rodent Mitigation Kathleen Corradi. “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.”
Learn more about the ‘Trash Revolution’ here.