Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Commissioner Gregory Anderson today installed Brooklyn's first residential Empire Bins, taking a major step toward cleaner streets and sidewalks. The stationary, on-street containers will replace massive piles of trash bags across Brooklyn Community District 2, where installation of more than 700 bins is now underway. Full containerization of the district is expected to be completed by the end of fall.
"Every New Yorker deserves clean streets and sidewalks," said Mayor Mamdani. "For too long, New Yorkers have had to walk past mountains of trash bags piled high on the curb that offer feasts for rats and stink up our streets. We're changing that. By containerizing trash, we're building a cleaner city while making it easier and safer for the hardworking men and women of DSNY to do their job."
Brooklyn Community District 2 encompasses Downtown Brooklyn, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Fulton Ferry, DUMBO, Vinegar Hill, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Brooklyn Navy Yard.
"Today marks an important milestone in our efforts to get trash off the street and into sealed, rodent-resistant containers," said DSNY Commissioner Gregory Anderson. "This is not another pilot. Putting screws in the ground here in Brooklyn marks the beginning of a dramatic transformation of New York City's streetscape. District by district, we are getting trash bags off the street and delivering the cleaner neighborhoods all New Yorkers deserve."
Following the model that has been in place for more than a year in West Harlem, DSNY will install Empire Bins outside all buildings with more than 30 units, as well as buildings with 10 to 30 units that have opted into the program.
Businesses and low-density residential buildings, including single-family homes, are already required to put their trash in smaller, wheeled containers known as "wheelie bins." Medium-density buildings that opt out of the Empire Bin program will also be required to use wheelie bins.
Property managers will access Empire Bins with a key card or smartphone app. Sanitation Workers will service the containers using North America's first automated side-loading trucks.
Last summer, DSNY deployed roughly 1,100 Empire Bins in Manhattan Community District 9, which includes Hamilton Heights, West Harlem and Morningside Heights. The containers performed well through a particularly cold and snowy winter.
As DSNY installs Empire Bins in BK 2, the agency is planning for the 2027 expansion announced by Mayor Mamdani in April. The next six community districts to receive Empire Bins include:
- Bronx Community District 2: Hunts Point and Longwood
- Bronx Community District 5: University Heights, Mount Hope, Morris Heights and Fordham Heights
- Queens Community District 2: Sunnyside, Hunters Point and Woodside
- Manhattan Community District 2: West Village, SoHo, Little Italy, Greenwich Village and Nolita
- Brooklyn Community District 8: Prospect Heights, Crown Heights and Weeksville
- Staten Island Community District 1: North Shore
DSNY expects the 2027 expansion to bring more than 6,500 Empire Bins to more than 3,500 buildings.
The City's goal is to complete containerization citywide by the end of 2031, delivering a New York City where trash bags are kept off the streets once and for all.
"Keeping our streets clean starts with improving how we manage trash," said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. "Empire Bins will help reduce clutter on sidewalks and make collection more efficient for larger apartment buildings and schools. Thank you DSNY for working to keep our neighborhoods clean and for bringing this program to Brooklyn Community District 2."
"Brooklynites shouldn't have to hop over piles of trash just to walk down the block," said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. "We've long known that containerization is essential for getting rats off our streets and creating cleaner, healthier neighborhoods. I appreciate Mayor Mamdani and DSNY for bringing Empire Bins to Brooklyn Community District 2, and I look forward to seeing Empire Bins soon at Community District 8 and across the entire borough."
"I'm thrilled that residential buildings and schools in Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, Downtown Brooklyn and DUMBO are getting Empire Bins this fall!" said Council Member Lincoln Restler. "On-street trash containerization has led to fewer rats, cleaner sidewalks and better quality of life in West Harlem, and I'm looking forward to seeing piles of smelly trash bags disappear off our sidewalks. Thanks to Council Member Crystal Hudson for sponsoring the legislation to make this a reality and to Mayor Mamdani and the Department of Sanitation for their steadfast commitment to cleaner streets."
"I cannot recall a time when New Yorkers have not had to dodge mountains of trash bags and rats on their own sidewalks - but now, I can proudly say that those days are numbered," said Council Member Crystal Hudson. "Last year, I passed the RAT Act, a law that allows the NYC Department of Sanitation to deploy stationary on-street containers to store and collect residential refuse. After years of advocacy, I am ecstatic that Community District 2, which I'm proud to represent, is getting its first residential bins. Residential containerization means fewer rats, cleaner streets and safer communities."
"I'm thrilled that containerization and Empire Bins are coming to Boerum Hill," said Council Member Shahana Hanif. "Brooklynites deserve clean, safe streets free from piles of trash and rats. It's long overdue that we bring our waste management system into the 21st century. I look forward to seeing containerization expand across District 39."
"New York is delivering a cleaner city by improving conditions for frontline workers. Every day, our union members are managing thousands of pounds of trash for New Yorkers," said Kevin Stavris, Executive Vice President and New York Metro Residential Division Director of 32BJ. "32BJ is proud to represent 90,000 building service workers who maintain homes and offices across this city. Now, they won't have to wait until 8 P.M. to start taking out the trash. It's more efficient and means fewer pests and cleaner streets. It's a win for workers and a win for New York."
"The continued rollout of containerized trash is a big win for communities across New York. The piles of trash covering sidewalks is a status quo we can do without. Containerizing our trash frees up space for pedestrians, helps keep our city cleaner and frankly, it just makes sense," said Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director at Open Plans. "Our sidewalks and streets are the most expansive and important public space in the city, repurposing the curb to get trash off the sidewalk is a smart and responsible reimagining of that space. We're excited to see trash containerization continue to expand and know that New Yorkers can't wait to see it in their neighborhoods."
"Keeping trash out of buildings and off sidewalks will improve the quality of life for property owners, residents and neighborhoods across New York City. We commend the Mamdani administration and DSNY for continuing to expand this program," said Basha Gerhards, Executive Vice President of Public Policy at the Real Estate Board of New York.
