NYC Says Goodbye To Trash Bags On Sidewalks

Thousands of secure curbside bins will replace trash bags across all boroughs under an expanded sanitation plan.

By Ainsley Martinez, Patch Staff

Apr 23, 2026 10:28 am EDT

New bins aim to cut rats and clear sidewalks as the city moves toward full waste containerization by 2032. ( Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

NEW YORK, NY — New York City will expand the use of large curbside trash bins across all five boroughs, in hopes to replace piles of garbage bags that have lined sidewalks for decades.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city plans to deploy more than 6,500 Spanish-made Empire Bins by the end of 2027, marking a major expansion of a pilot program launched in Manhattan under former Mayor Eric Adams.

The rollout will begin in parts of the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, while expanding in Brooklyn and Manhattan neighborhoods where the bins have already been introduced.

“We have the plan, we’re investing the money and we’re delivering on the promise of clean, healthy streets for every neighborhood,” Mamdani said.

The bins are designed to replace traditional curbside trash bags.

Building staff access them with keycards, and sanitation workers collect waste using side-loading trucks that lift and empty the containers mechanically, eliminating the need to handle loose bags on the street.

City officials said the bins have already reduced rat sightings in areas such as West Harlem, where about 1,100 containers are in use.

Under the plan, the bins will be required for residential buildings with 30 or more units. Buildings with 10 to 30 units will have the option to participate.

Officials have said the system could eventually replace thousands of parking spaces as the city reconfigures curbside use.

In Brooklyn, installations are underway in neighborhoods including Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Downtown Brooklyn, with expansion planned for Prospect Heights, Crown Heights and Weeksville.

Manhattan neighborhoods slated to receive bins over the next 18 months include the West Village, SoHo, Little Italy and Greenwich Village.

In the Bronx, the rollout will reach Hunts Point, Longwood, University Heights, Mount Hope, Morris Heights and Fordham Heights. Queens installations will begin in Sunnyside, Hunters Point and Woodside, while Staten Island will see bins in St. George, West Brighton and Port Richmond.

Mamdani said the expansion is part of a broader plan to fully containerize the city’s waste system by 2032, shifting away from decades of open curbside trash collection toward a sealed, mechanized approach.