STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York City homeowners and the owners of small apartment buildings with fewer than 10 units will soon need to transition to new trash cans as part of the city’s ongoing war on rats.
Starting Nov. 12, all homeowners, which includes one- and two-family residences, as well as small apartment buildings, will need to adhere to new trash containerization rules requiring the use of official New York City trash cans.
“Today, we are tossing even more black bags into the dustbin of history and taking the next step forward in our ‘Trash Revolution,’” said Mayor Eric Adams. “The first-ever, official NYC Bin is high-quality, affordable, and will build on our efforts containerizing more than 70% of the city’s trash to protect our most valuable and limited resource — our public space.”
The new official trash cans, manufactured by North Carolina-based company Otto, will cost residents $45.88 for a 35-gallon bin, which holds up to three kitchen garbage bags, and $53.01 for a 45-gallon bin, which holds up to four kitchen garbage bags, according to the city website.
The official bins come with latching lids, wheels, a metal bar for mechanized collection to compliment the city’s new rear-loading tipper trucks and a 10-year warranty. The city recommends ordering NYC Bins by Oct. 1 to receive them by the Nov. 12 kickoff of the new containerization rules.
“NYC-branded wheeled containers, custom designed to work with our trucks, are the key to keeping our most precious real estate — New York City sidewalks — clear,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “With over 70% of New York City’s trash contained, the Adams administration and the hardworking men and women of DSNY are defying the odds and the naysayers and winning the ‘Trash Revolution.’”
City sanitation officials said there will be an 18-month grace period, running through June 2026, during which New Yorkers can continue to use bins they have as long as they are 55 gallons or less and have a latching lid.
Those who fail to containerize their trash entirely and continue to place garbage bags directly on the curb will be subject to escalating fines starting Jan. 2, 2025. The fines will be $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second offense and $200 for a third offense and all subsequent offenses.
NEW TRASH RULES
The official NYC Bins are the latest in a long line of efforts by the Adam’s administration to cut down the city’s rampant rat population by implementing new sanitation rules, including later set out times and required containerization.
On Apr. 1, 2023, New York City implemented later set out times for both residential and commercial trash, recycling and composting in an effort to reduce the amount of time it spent sitting out on the city’s sidewalks.
Previously, trash could be placed at the curb for collection beginning at 4 p.m. the day prior to your scheduled pickup — the earliest time of any major American city.
Under the new rules, residents must wait until 6 p.m. to put out their containerized garbage and until 8 p.m. to place bags directly on the curb, while businesses must place their bins at the curb one hour before closing or after 8 p.m.
In addition to the new set out times, New York City has been phasing in required containerization of trash, starting with businesses and now expanding to cover residential properties.
First, the city required all food-related businesses — including restaurants, caterers, grocery stores, delis, and bodegas — to containerize their waste as of July 30, 2023.
The required containerization was expanded on Sept. 5, 2023 to cover all chain businesses with five or more locations in the city, regardless of what they sell.
The next phase, which began March 1, required all New York City businesses to place their trash in bins, regardless of what they sell or how many locations they operate out of.
The city will now require containerization for all residential buildings with nine or fewer units starting Nov. 12, with larger residential buildings next in line.
Buildings with 10-30 units will choose between stationary on-street containers and smaller wheelie bins, while buildings with more than 30 units will need to use on-street containers, according to DSNY, though an implementation date for these larger residential buildings has not yet been set.
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