Mayor Eric Adams Announces ‘New Look’ For City Streets With The First Official NYC Trash Bin Pickup Program

It's about time..don't you think?!

NYC Mayor Eric Adams aims to keep his promise to combat the increase in rats and rodents by implementing the first official trash bin program for residents.

Joined by Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Adams announced on July 8 by wheeling out and presenting the first bin to the curb outside Gracie Mansion. Adams feels the program will keep city streets cleaner by limiting the amount of black trash bags seen on the streets and will decrease the rat population. “Today, we are tossing even more black bags into the dustbin of history and taking the next step forward in our ‘Trash Revolution,'” Adams said.

“They are getting more and more bold. They no longer run from you; they just hang out and just do what they want. And we want to make sure that we change that in a real way.”

Starting on Nov. 12, residential building landlords with no more than nine units will be required to use trash bins with secure latching lids. The move will help the city contain 70% of its 14 billion annual pounds of trash in two years. “Many property owners already use bins for their trash — and pay over $100 retail in order to keep the streets clean,” Tisch said.

“Well, we’ve got great news: at the same time that we’re moving to require containerization of trash for all buildings with one to nine residential units, we’re unveiling the official ‘NYC Bin’ — beautiful, durable, and less than $50 for the most common size.”

Adams has had his own issues with the city’s rat population after it was reported that the sanitation department cited the former NYPD captain for allegedly harboring rats in his Brooklyn townhome. City records show Adams received close to 18 summons over the years, mostly related to garbage issues. He mentioned his disdain for the creepy rodents during his campaign. “Most people don’t know this about me, but I hate rats. And pretty soon, those rats will be hating me,” Adams said.

According to Business Insider, the trash bins will be provided through a $1.6 million contract with consulting giant McKinsey, first established in 2022. In October 2022, McKinsey was scheduled to shadow the city’s Sanitation Department for 20 weeks to determine what sort of bins would suit the different landscapes of the streets, honing in on what they should look like and the vendors to use.

A spokesperson for the department said the work identified on the contract wrapped up in April 2023, with a solution decided upon that relates to other cities like Barcelona, Spain, often flooded with colored and uniform bins.