The city has issued nearly 8,000 fines for New Yorkers failing to follow new trash rules.
Homeowners or landlords of buildings with nine or fewer units not complying with the city’s containerization code — using a 55-gallon (or smaller) bin with proper lids to take out the trash — had a grace period from Nov. 12 to Jan. 2. During that time, the city’s department of sanitation (DSNY) issued about 70,000 warnings, according to the agency.
When that grace period ended on Jan. 3, New Yorkers who violated the sanitation rules were slammed with fines. As of Jan. 14, DSNY says 7,892 tickets had been issued. The fines are $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second offense, and $200 for third offenses and beyond.
The new trash rules are a part of Mayor Eric Adam’s campaign against rats and other trash overflow hazards. The department has containerized 70% of all NYC trash, with a goal to reach 100%, according to DSNY.
What’s a “secure lid”? Any lid that snaps or latches is considered secure.
“The idea is to keep smells in, and rodents, raccoons and other animals out,” said DSNY Press Secretary Vincent Gragnani in an email.
By June 2026, these properties with nine units or fewer will need to switch to the official NYC Bin for non-recyclable trash.
Through the city, you can still order 45-gallon bins for $54.60 including shipping and handling and processing fees at www.bins.nyc. Smaller, 35-gallon bins are $47.25 or $47.26 including shipping and handling and processing fees.
They’re also available at Home Depot for the same price. You can also buy separate NYC bins for recycling and composting, but they are NOT required.
While some New Yorkers have long raised concerns about these costs (plus accessibility issues and loss of parking spots), the city has offered no discounted or free bins. The sanitation department says the price for bins through the city’s official vendor, Otto Environmental Systems, is discounted compared to other retailers.
Why are the fines only happening for the little guys? Well, that’s only for now. Larger buildings will transition to on-street containers in pilot areas like West Harlem starting in spring 2025.
Buildings with 31 or more residential units will need to use designated on-street trash containers, which the city’s new automated garbage trucks will handle. Each container will be assigned to a specific building and used only by those residents. For buildings with 10 to 30 units, there’s a bit more flexibility — they can opt for either on-street containers or individual trash bins.
For more details, check out the Residential Waste Containerization page.
You can also register to attend one of the following DSNY-hosted virtual info sessions about the program:
- Thursday, January 23 at 6 p.m.
- Thursday, February 6 at 4 p.m.
- Thursday, February 13 at 6 p.m.
- Thursday, February 27 at 4 p.m.
- Thursday, March 13 at 6 p.m.
- Thursday, March 27 at 4 p.m.
- Thursday, April 10 at 6 p.m.
- Thursday, April 24 at 4 p.m.
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