Many New York City homes must now use official city bins to put out their trash, or risk fines.
Single-family homes and residential buildings with fewer than 10 units have been required since June to use the bins, but on Tuesday, the city will start to enforce the rule, handing out $50 fines to owners who don’t comply.
The gray “NYC Bins” come in three sizes, up to 45 gallons, and cost up to $62.77 at Home Depot.
The rule is part of the city’s broader war on rats — a campaign to move trash bags off the streets and into containers with lids. But some New Yorkers have bristled at the changes, arguing that their old trash cans work just fine.
Here’s what to know:
Why are new bins needed?
The city’s push to “containerize” trash started under the previous mayor, Eric Adams, who famously detested rats. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has embraced the effort.
The goal is to deter pests by replacing piles of loose garbage bags on city sidewalks with secure, uniform containers.
“These bins are durable, rat-resistant and most importantly they can be collected with mechanical tippers that we’re adding to the back of our sanitation trucks,” the city’s sanitation commissioner, Gregory Anderson, said in a video urging New Yorkers to use the bins.
How does enforcement work?
The penalty for a first offense is $50. A second offense is $100, and future offenses are $200 each.
Many New Yorkers have bought bins: About 1.2 million have been sold, according to city officials. But during the grace period this summer, about 40,000 warnings were issued for failing to use them. (Landlords, not tenants, are responsible for making sure their buildings have bins.)
There was no trash collection on Labor Day, and sanitation workers will be working to catch up. New Yorkers without bins can expect to receive tickets in the coming days.
Why are some New Yorkers unhappy?
They don’t want to buy new bins or don’t have space for them.
Lizette Gonzalez-Ruiz, a stay-at-home mother who lives in a single-family home on Staten Island, said the new bins were not necessary.
“We’ve always used trash cans,” she said. “I don’t like the fact that they made us pay for it.”
David Carr, a Republican City Council member from Staten Island, has been a critic of the bins, pushing for a reimbursement program to help residents pay for them. Though Mr. Carr said more of the bins seemed to be available after concerns over shortages earlier this year, he said he still heard complaints “from time to time” about finding them.
A landlord in Manhattan filed a lawsuit last month arguing that its buildings could not comply because there was nowhere to store the bins.
There have also been concerns about the company the city chose to manufacture the bins: Duramax Holdings, doing business as Otto Environmental Systems. The company is facing bankruptcy proceedings.
What about larger residential buildings?
All residential buildings with 31 or more units will eventually be required to use larger “Empire Bins,” which will be placed in spaces used for street parking. The bins hold 800 gallons of trash and are opened using key cards. Buildings with 10 to 30 units can choose to use those bins or the smaller NYC Bins.
Empire Bins are already being used in Community District 9 in West Harlem in Manhattan and will be rolled out in Community District 2 in Downtown Brooklyn this year. The city plans to introduce them citywide by 2032.
What about composting and recycling?
New Yorkers are required to recycle and to separate food and yard waste from trash, and can face fines for failing to do so.
There are blue and green NYC Bins available for recycling and brown ones for compost. But residents are not required to use those specific bins. Recyclable items can be put in containers or clear plastic bags. Compost must be left out in labeled bins with secure lids.
What should I do with my old trash bins?
They can be recycled. Place them upside down on the curb for collection on recycling day.
Is the war on rats working?
It is hard to know for certain. New York City has been plagued by rats for centuries and has tried everything under the sun to vanquish them.
It is still common, especially at night, to see them scurrying in parks, on streets or in the subway.
But there are signs of progress: Rat complaints were down by about 20 percent during the first half of this year compared with last year, according to the Sanitation Department.
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