Our newsroom gets lots of questions from readers, about Mayor Eric Adams, congestion pricing, finding subsidized housing and more.
But in recent months the most popular topic by far has been really trashy: New York City’s new programs for garbage containerization.
THE CITY’s readers have wondered: What happens if their new bin is stolen? Where should I put recycling now? And what’s up with just having one company supply the new official trash bin?
Here are the answers to those queries, and many more:
When does this start?
It already has — for some residents. On Nov. 12, 2024, all residential properties in the five boroughs with nine units or fewer must set out their trash for pickup in containers. They can use any waste bin with a secure lid that’s 55 gallons or smaller.
Larger buildings don’t have to use the bins because, eventually, the Department of Sanitation hopes to use built-in, on-street containers, like those rolling out in a trash collection pilot program in West Harlem. Starting in spring 2025 in that neighborhood, buildings with 31 or more apartments will have to use those on-street containers. Buildings in that area with 10 to 30 apartments will have to choose between using those on-street containers or the official NYC Bins (more on this later).
Citywide, the sanitation department wants to roll out on-street containers for all buildings larger than 31 units “pending environmental review and analysis of the pilot,” said Joshua Goodman, spokesperson for the department.
Can larger buildings start using containers even if they don’t have to yet?
Yes, they definitely can, but they have to comply with the same rules smaller buildings do: 55 gallons or smaller, with a secure lid.
What happens if I don’t follow the rules?
The sanitation agency says between now and Jan. 2, 2025 is a “warning period,” but after that, they will start issuing fines for not complying with containerized collection mandates. They will begin at $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second and $200 for every offense after that.
Why do we have to do this?
Putting the city’s trash into containers for curbside truck collection has been a dream of waste management reformers for years. Garbage bags offer a feast for rats and can hide dangerous items that hurt the workers who pick up trash.
It’s also the standard in every other major city in the country, and many globally. As Curbed pointed out in its “case for containerized trash,” Barcelona places shared trash containers on its streets, Amsterdam has underground shared trash containers, and in Taipei, Taiwan, residents are required to throw their bags of trash straight into the garbage truck.
In New York, our famous street grid has made garbage a notorious problem for centuries; 19th century street designers nixed alleyways when mapping out Manhattan, giving residents nowhere to put piles of trash except in front of buildings and on sidewalks.
“The point of this thing is to make the streets look and feel better,” said Goodman. “Like people are like, ‘Why are you doing this?’ Because leaving piles of trash bags everywhere is not a good strategy.”
How do I buy an NYC trash can? (Question submitted by reader Martin S.)
The Department of Sanitation is nudging New York’s small-property owners toward a new reality: not only do they need to put out trash in containers that are 55 gallons or smaller, but starting in mid-2026 they must use an official NYC Bin, available from the city’s official vendor: Otto Environmental Systems.
Those bins can be purchased at www.bins.nyc or by calling 1-855-NYC-BINS. They cost $53.01 for a 45-gallon bin or $45.87 for a 35-gallon version. Shipping and handling are free. They are also sold at Home Depot stores within the five boroughs for the same price.
(Note that if you are reading this article on thecity.nyc, the website of the nonprofit and independent newsroom of THE CITY, know that we have no affiliation with the government of the City of New York and have no connection to or knowledge of your bin order. We have heard from some readers who may think otherwise.)
Do you know if recyclables now need to be binned or are those still OK to put out in bags or — for things like magazines and newspapers — bundled and left curbside without bins? (Question submitted by reader David B.)
Recycling does not need to be in a bin, according to sanitation spokesperson Goodman. It can still be in a bag — a clear, plastic bag, according to the DSNY’s recycling rules.
However, he said, “if you would like to put it in a bin, you may,” you just have to get a bin that is 55 gallons or less with a secure lid and labeled with a recycling decal.
Right now, that can be any bin you choose. But after June 2026, if you want to put your recycling into a bin, it has to be the official NYC Bin. For recycling, Otto offers a labeled blue bin for metal, glass and plastic and a labeled green bin for cardboard and paper. Each is for sale in the same sizes and at the same prices as the trash bins.
But you’ll still have the option of bagging recycling even after June 2026. Clear plastic bags will be allowed for curbside recyclables for the foreseeable future, Goodman said.
Why is it so expensive to purchase the city’s garbage bin? Why is anyone making money off these garbage bins we have to purchase? (Question submitted by reader Maria C.)
The extra cost of buying these bins may be a pricey purchase to many New Yorkers. But relative to similar bins on the market, the NYC Bins are low cost.
When THE CITY reported on the company that won the competitively bid concession contract to make the official NYC Bins, the sanitation department said the prices of the bins — $53.01 or $45.87 depending on size — are a bargain, and far below the estimated $150 retail cost.
At wholesale prices, 35- and 50-gallon wheeled waste bins offered from ULINE, the industrial supplies company, range from $100 to $145. Global Industrial, another wholesale supplier, offers 35-galloon wheeled bins for $92.95 each, and a 48-galloon wheeled bin for $179.95.
Otto, the company making the bins, “is able to operate with a very, very slim margin because they know that they are the only authorized manufacturer,” said Goodman.
But they do have a valuable asset: a 10-year deal to be New York City’s exclusive seller.
According to Otto’s agreement with the city, the price of the bins cannot change without approval through the city’s concession process.
How many companies bid to get the city’s trash container contract? (Question submitted by reader Jim M.)
Including Otto, three companies bid to get the 10-year concession agreement for the NYC Bins. The Department of Sanitation has declined to divulge the identities of the other bidder and directed THE CITY to make a Freedom of Information Law request to obtain public bidding records.
Can seniors get a bin for free or discounted?
No, neither the official bin maker or the sanitation department offers free or discounted bins — for seniors or anyone.
I have no room to store the new trash bins. Where am I supposed to put them (Question submitted by reader Craig L.)
According to the DSNY: “Bins should be stored inside or in alleyways, courtyards, or other outdoor areas away from public sidewalks. If space is not available, you may store bins within three feet of your building. Containers must be kept neat and allow for pedestrian travel.”
How do we prevent the bins from being stolen? Will the garbage be collected if the bins are chained?
You can chain up your bins when they are stored, but you cannot leave them chained when it’s time for collection, said Goodman.
“The sanitation workers need to be able to move the bin,” he said.
The official bins will have a few anti-theft elements, including a large white space to write your address, a serial number and an RFID tag.
If your bin is stolen, DSNY says you should do what you would do for any piece of stolen property: file a police report.
Is there a small or medium-sized bin that can be purchased for a single person or one- or two-person family? (Question submitted by reader Vanessa W.)
The NYC Bins come in only two sizes: a 45-gallon bin ($53.01) and a 35-gallon bin ($45.87).
Anything larger would be unwieldy for sanitation workers and anything smaller wouldn’t work for most households, said Goodman of the DSNY.
“We did a lot of research and determined that this was the appropriate size for most New York City residents in the one- to nine-unit buildings, and that it was a size that sanitation workers could handle operationally,” he said.
How does the Department of Sanitation plan to get the new garbage bins picked up by outfitted sanitation trucks? Parking is difficult in our area and most cars are parked bumper to bumper on my street. I don’t see how the new bins can be accessible to the trucks from the curbs. (Question submitted by reader A.O.)
The answer is “sanitation workers are experts,” says Goodman. If the trucks cannot get close to the curb or bins for some reason, he said, workers can pick up the containers. That is one of the reasons the bins are capped at 55 gallons — to make it possible for workers to maneuver them if needs be.
We have to purchase the new garbage bins for the new requirements. How long do you think they will last from the banging and throwing? (Question submitted by reader Robert S.)
We can’t see the future. But we know how long the Department of Sanitation predicts the new official garbage bin will last: 10 years. That’s the span of the agency’s warranty on the official trash containers.
