NYC requires official bins for 1–9 unit buildings by June 2026; city to issue $14 million in reimbursements, DSNY says

The New York City Department of Sanitation told the City Council at a committee hearing that all 1- to 9-unit residential buildings must use the official NYC bin by June 2026 and that the city will issue reimbursements to eligible property owners beginning in October.

In testimony, Chief Pitts, Department of Sanitation, said the city has already seen widespread uptake: “To date, New Yorkers have purchased over 900,000 of these bins at www.bins.nyc or at NYC Home Depot locations.” Pitts said the bins have helped reduce visible trash and contributed to declines in rat sightings over eight consecutive months.

The reimbursement program announced the same morning commits $14,000,000 to provide either a free bin or a rebate for owners of eligible properties, Pitts said. The department said eligible property owners are those in one- or two-unit buildings who received the STAR or E‑STAR tax exemption in tax year 2024 or 2025; owners who bought a bin through bins.nyc or by phone will receive a check automatically in October, the department said. Owners who bought bins at retail outlets such as Home Depot can submit proof of purchase or a self-attestation for a rebate, the department added.

The containerization requirements for businesses took effect earlier; Pitts said the first residential container requirement in more than 50 years went into effect Nov. 12, 2024. He said containerization of all businesses and of 1–9 unit residential buildings already covers about 70% of the city’s trash by tonnage and that the Department of Sanitation has a plan for the remaining 30%.

The department described a pilot that stores residential trash in on-street, locked containers called Empire Bins. “We are currently collecting trash from 1,100 stationary on street containers called Empire Bins in Manhattan Community District 9 as part of the first full district containerization pilot,” Pitts said, and the pilot will expand to Brooklyn Community District 2 in the coming months, the witness said.

Council members asked about operational details. Deputy Commissioner Goodman said building owners remain responsible for keeping sidewalks clean and for removing litter and debris within 18 inches into the street and 18 inches around an Empire Bin; DSNY is responsible for cleaning beyond that 18-inch zone. Goodman said the bins are scheduled to be power-washed by a vendor four times per year. On routine maintenance items such as damaged bollards or bins left open, DSNY said crews or supervisors will inspect and dispatch repairs as needed.

Council members raised concerns about delivery backlogs and space constraints. Goodman said there is currently no backlog of bin orders and that occasional earlier delays had narrowed to a short window for delivery. Several council members urged DSNY to prioritize containerization for corridors and small-home areas where residents lack space for bins; Pitts said the agency will consider district density, housing type and routing in rollout decisions but aims to make containerization citywide.

The department also reiterated operational rules that changed under the administration’s ‘‘trash revolution,’’ including earlier set-out times for containerized waste and a shift in collection schedules to gather more trash earlier in the evening.

The committee discussed next steps and implementation timelines. DSNY repeated its message that most eligible homeowners should expect reimbursement checks in October and that questions about eligibility or missing checks should be directed to 311 if a letter or check has not arrived after that month.

Two council bills related to containerization were part of the hearing record: Intro 12‑79, which would delay containerization requirements for supplemental service providers by three years, and an unfloated enforcement-expansion bill, Intro 11, which DSNY said was not being heard at the session. The council debated the delay bill; DSNY opposed a three-year pause, saying it would undermine progress already funded by a $5,000,000 council allocation to support bids and supplemental sanitation providers.