The Department of Sanitation alongside the Mayor’s Office announced a requirement to containerize waste that will impact 95% of residential properties. Here’s what you need to know from the latest trash-related regulation:
The Basics: Requirement To Containerize Waste
Starting a year from now (fall of 2024), buildings with nine or fewer residential units must place all trash in secure containers.
According to the city, this will impact 765,000 properties. In fact, this new regulation combined with previous directives for commercial businesses will require 70% of the city’s trash to be containerized.
All About The Bins
Starting in the summer of 2026, trash containers for these residential properties must be “specific, official NYC bins.” Here’s why, per a direct quote from the announcement:
The official NYC Bins will be designed for mechanized collection. DSNY will retrofit or replace hundreds of collection trucks, adding mechanical tippers compatible with the new bins. This upgrade will speed up collection and minimize the possibility of street mess from manual collection.
Bins will be made available through a single “authorized concessionaire,” undergoing an RFP process now. Additionally, owners will be required to purchase the specific, designated bins:
In most major U.S. cities — where bins are required for trash — property owners pay a fee for sanitation service that covers the cost of the bin. Because New York City provides free, unlimited residential waste collection, property owners are responsible for purchasing the bin, but DSNY has set a maximum price far below what one would pay at a retail store. The request for proposals states that official NYC Bins, which will be designed to last at least 10 years, will start at no more than $50 for the most common size — and the competitive vendor selection process may bring the price down even further.
What About Larger Residential Properties?
The Adams administration also included a nod to properties with 10 units or more in their announcement. According to the release, they are advancing a plan to containerize residential trash in these properties. While the bins for properties with 9 units or less will be placed on the sidewalk, containers for the largest buildings will go on the street (though many large buildings have loading docks and will not require containers).
The on-street container approach is currently being piloted in an area of Hamilton Heights – stay tuned for more announcements and possible expansions here.
An Update On The War On Rats
Per the city’s announcement, recent trash rules have made an impact on the ongoing War on Rats: 311 calls about rat activity have dropped 20% citywide from the previous summer. The number of calls in Rat Mitigation Zones dropped even more significantly – by 45%.
That said, enforcement is on the rise. According to our latest State of the NYC Violations Report (coming this November!), Sanitation violations are up 47% from last year. That’s not even including DOHMH violations about rats and pest mitigation.
The best way to stay compliant and avoid this statistic? Stay informed! We’ll keep you posted on any new announcements and share DSNY resources as they’re available. We’re also excited to host speakers from the Department of Sanitation at this year’s RealFocus event on Monday, October 23rd. There are only a few spots left, so get your tickets here and join us to learn more about how to comply with the latest agency requirements.
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