DSNY publishes draft rules for containerization pilot

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) released draft rules outlining the timeline and model under which Manhattan Community District 9 (Morningside Heights, Manhattanville and Hamilton Heights in West Harlem, also known as M9) will become the first community district where 100 percent of the trash is off the street and in containers.

Under the rules announced today, larger buildings in this area—all with 31 or more residential units, and some with 10-30 residential units—will be the first in the city to place their trash out for collection in European-style stationary on-street containers, known in New York City as “Empire Bins,” rather than in bags directly on the sidewalk.

“The unique density and streetscape of New York City has long been used as an excuse to do nothing about our biggest infrastructural challenges—to handwave away solutions that work around the world. New York City’s exceptionalism cannot be used as an excuse to accept the status quo when the status quo is mediocrity. We can have the clean, trash-free streets that other cities have, if we are only willing to do the work. There isn’t some secret to winning the ‘Trash Revolution;’ it just takes careful planning, thoughtful management and a commitment to finally getting it done,” says DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

This will replace the current on-street container pilot running on 10 blocks in Hamilton Heights. The new model is an improvement, both in terms of aesthetics and in terms of scalability, DSNY says. The existing pilot, while imperfect, has shown good results, with rat sightings reported to 311 down 60 percent in the pilot zone since it began.

This program is moving forward under a model developed by the Mayor Eric Adams Administration using a detailed volumetric analysis of trash produced across the city. Under the plan created from this analysis, buildings with 31 or more residential units will be required to use stationary on-street Empire Bins for their trash, serviced by all-new automated side-loading trucks operated by two sanitation workers.

Empire Bins will not be “shared” between buildings, but rather assigned a specific building for use only by residents of that building. They will be locked and only openable by DSNY and designees of the building owner. Buildings with 10-30 units will be given a choice between using Empire Bins and using individual wheelie bins.

All buildings with one to nine residential units will be required to put their trash in individual wheelie bins starting Nov. 12, with the official NYC bins available now and required by June 2026. That is a citywide commitment, but it will also cover low-density buildings within Manhattan Community District 9.

All businesses citywide have been required to put their commercial trash in bins since March 2024.