‘Rodent-Proof’ Trash Bins Debut In Newark; City Launches Pilot Program

NEWARK, NJ — Newark is taking a cue from its neighbor city across the Hudson River when it comes to trash collection.

On Tuesday, city officials announced that Newark is testing out a new pilot program in the downtown business district. The city will supply business owners with specially designed trash bins in a quest to “safely and sanitarily hold trash for later collection.”

They will be “rodent-proof,” Mayor Ras Baraka said.

“Newark’s downtown density of consumers and producers generates the volume of waste expected of any productive city,” Baraka said.

“By providing aesthetically pleasing, rodent-proof sidewalk trash containers, we gain a safe, sanitary way to store garbage awaiting pickup, and simultaneously improve life for our business owners and residents alike,” he added.

Newark’s initiative is based on a similar program that was launched last year in New York City’s Times Square, using the same supplier: Citibin.

• See Related: Rodent-Proof Trash Bins Head To Harlem In Citywide Rat Attack

According to a statement from the mayor’s office, the pilot program made its debut in the downtown area, where local businesses often lack the resources to properly store trash for disposal.

The new pilot is part of the city’s “Love Newark Keep it Clean” campaign.

The pilot started on Broad Street between Lafayette and Bank Streets. It will expand to the following corridors in the fall:

• Downtown Market Street
• Downtown Washington Street
• Downtown Mulberry Street
• Clinton Avenue between Bergen Street and Fabyan Avenue
• Springfield Avenue and 10th Street
• Springfield Avenue and Hayes Street
• South Orange Avenue, between Bergen Street and 12th Street
• South Orange Avenue, between North Munn Avenue and Stuyvesant Avenue

“In the quest to provide a clean and enjoyable commercial experience to our city’s residents, shoppers, and visitors alike, we are proud to be instrumental in bringing a more progressive means of containing trash for pickup to Newark’s downtown area and eventually to other areas of the city as well,” Department of Public Works Director Craig Smith said.

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