Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Sanitation Commissioner (DSNY) Gregory Anderson announced today that six new Community Districts across the city will have 100% trash containerization by the end of 2027. This announcement means that eight of the city's 59 districts will have zero trash bags on the streets next fall, with the administration committing to full citywide trash containerization by end of 2031.
"In the wealthiest city in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, no New Yorker should have their sidewalks covered in garbage. By finishing the job on containerization, we will ensure New York City's streets remain the envy of the world," said Mayor Mamdani. "We have the plan, we're investing the money and we're delivering on the promise of clean, healthy streets for every neighborhood."
"Containerization is a long overdue step in bringing our city's trash collection into the modern era, putting an end to the piles of garbage that have become far too common across our city," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson. "We will be hard at work rolling out this program throughout the five boroughs, keeping our public realm clean, safe and enjoyable for all New Yorkers."
"Neighborhood by neighborhood, we are ending the decades-long era of trash bags on the streets of New York City," said Sanitation Commissioner Anderson. "Others have talked a lot about containerizing the city's trash, but we are actually getting it done, delivering cleaner streets and sidewalks, and fewer rats, to every corner of the city."
Businesses and low-density residential buildings, including single-family homes, are already required to put their trash into smaller "wheelie bins." Today's announcement covers trash from higher-density residential buildings, whose building managers will put their trash into stationary on-street containers known as Empire Bins. These Empire Bins are assigned to individual buildings and accessible only to building managers. They will be serviced by North America's first automated side-loading trucks.
Medium- and high-density residential buildings in the following districts will receive Empire Bins by the end of 2027:
- Brooklyn Community District 8 (Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Weeksville)
- Bronx Community District 2 (Hunts Point, Longwood)
- Bronx Community District 5 (University Heights, Mount Hope, Morris Heights, Fordham Heights)
- Manhattan Community District 2 (West Village, SoHo, Little Italy, Greenwich Village, Nolita)
- Queens Community District 2 (Sunnyside, Hunters Point, Woodside)
- Staten Island Community District 1 (North Shore)
During the course of the next year, DSNY will assign Empire Bins to all buildings in these districts with more than 30 units. Buildings with 10 to 30 units will be given an option - after extensive one-to-one outreach - to either have an Empire Bin assigned to them or use smaller "wheelie bins," as all properties with one to nine units are already required to do citywide. This mirrors the successful operation in the first containerized district, Manhattan Community District 9.
The Department of Sanitation is expecting that this expansion will use more than 6,500 Empire Bins for more than 3,500 medium- and high-density buildings.
Trash in Manhattan Community District 9 (West Harlem) has been fully containerized since last June, creating noticeably cleaner streets. Brooklyn Community District 2 (Downtown Brooklyn, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Fulton Ferry, DUMBO, Vinegar Hill, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Brooklyn Navy Yard) is scheduled to receive Empire Bins this fall.
While the initial West Harlem pilot has performed well for the last 10 months - including during a cold, snowy winter - the previous administration refused to fund or plan for expansion. Today's commitment lays out a path to full, citywide containerization of trash in just five years.
The initial West Harlem pilot utilized roughly 1,100 Empire Bins to store trash from schools and high- and some mid-density residential buildings. The Empire Bins are serviced by automated side-loading trucks, which DSNY was able to have built years ahead of schedule by developers from Torino, Italy and Hicksville and Brooklyn, New York.
"Last year, the City Council passed my bill, the Rat Act (Int. 1123), to expand containerization citywide and finally get those unsightly heaps of trash bags off our sidewalks," said Council Member Crystal Hudson. "I am thrilled for Mayor Mamdani and DSNY Commissioner Anderson's announcement today to expand containerization to community board districts in every borough, including Community Board 8 in my district. It is encouraging to see this work begin to scale across the city. Containerization is a critical tool in addressing our rat crisis and improving street cleanliness. I look forward to continuing to work with the Mayor and Commissioner to build on this momentum and ensure this effort is fully realized citywide in the coming years."
"It's a great win for Lower Manhattan to be prioritized in the expansion of containerization. Community Board 2 has chronic sanitation issues that clog busy streets and create real quality-of-life problems for residents, workers and visitors," said Council Member Christopher Marte. "Containerization makes a world of a difference in making sure our sidewalks and streets are designed for people to thrive, not rats. I look forward to working with the Department of Sanitation, CB2, and our neighbors to implement cleaner streets, and further beautify the neighborhoods we love."
"Residential containerization is a mandatory citywide initiative, and our office will be working hand in glove with the administration and DSNY to make sure this rollout makes sense for Staten Island and goes as smoothly as possible for our communities," said Council Member Kamillah Hanks.
"I am excited to see the expansion of residential containerization in the Bronx. This is a first step in resolving the longstanding issue of rats and illegal dumping in our streets," said Council Member Oswald Feliz. "Our community deserves cleaner spaces, and I applaud Mayor Mamdani for taking the initiative to continue to improve the quality of life of our neighbors."
