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Bringing Containerization to Bryant Park

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Client:

Bryant Park Corporation

Location:

New York City, USA

Application:

High-volume public-space waste containment

Product Solutions:

metroSTOR large-capacity waste enclosures

New York City’s Clean Curbs program was implemented to move piles of bagged waste off sidewalks and into sealed, rodent-proof containers. For Business Improvement Districts, that created a better way to manage waste in the public realm, while also setting clear requirements around siting, container dimensions, servicing, safety and appearance.

Bryant Park Corporation began exploring how to apply this approach to one of the city’s highest-volume BID waste operations. With more than 200 bags moving through the system each day, the enclosure needed to meet Clean Curbs requirements while solving a longstanding operational and visual problem.

The result is a cleaner, better-contained waste operation that has been welcomed by neighboring properties and tenants, while also supporting Bryant Park’s wider rat-mitigation efforts.

Clean Curbs set the parameters for the system

Under DSNY’s Clean Curbs program, BIDs can install enclosed containers on approved City property to hold waste awaiting collection. The containers need to meet defined dimensional, siting and design requirements while remaining practical for loading and servicing.

At Bryant Park, those requirements had to work around an established collection process. Staff empty public trash and recycling containers throughout the day, consolidate the bags using tilt trucks, and move them to West 40th Street for collection.

Previously, the bags were placed directly in the parking lane behind pedestrian barriers. Although they were collected regularly and not left overnight, the volume meant large quantities of exposed waste could still be sitting on the street between collections.

The new infrastructure therefore needed to fit within an on-street containerization system, accommodate high volumes efficiently, and meet the visual standard expected around Bryant Park.

High volumes made ease of servicing critical

Bryant Park’s collection process was already efficient, so the new enclosures needed to work with it rather than introduce extra handling. Curbside access was configured so staff could bring tilt trucks alongside the units and tip waste directly into the enclosure, adding individual bags manually where necessary.

Access and security also had to work differently on each side. Bryant Park wanted combination-operated access for staff, avoiding keys that could be lost, while the street-facing side needed to meet DSNY collection requirements.

Solid walls, floors and roofs provided full containment, helping prevent bags being ripped open and limiting access by rats. The external appearance also needed to suit a prominent streetscape rather than resemble conventional back-of-house waste infrastructure.

The result was a system developed around both City requirements and the realities of Bryant Park’s day-to-day operation.

“It’s been a huge improvement”

The metroSTOR enclosures were installed in December 2024, replacing exposed bag storage with a large-capacity enclosed system on West 40th Street. As Zach Beresin explains:

“It’s been a huge improvement. We used to put the trash bags directly on the street, so it’s something that the properties here and the tenants really appreciate, getting the bags off the street. It looks much better, the smell has been contained and overall, it’s a major improvement for the park here.”

That change is particularly important on 40th Street. As the operational side of the park, it is the only practical location for much of Bryant Park’s loading and waste activity, but it also sits directly opposite neighboring buildings.

Replacing exposed bags with enclosed storage has improved the appearance of the area while reducing the risk of torn bags, scattered waste and odor affecting the surrounding street.

Supporting Bryant Park’s rat-mitigation efforts

Rat mitigation has been a major focus for Bryant Park over recent years, and securing waste while it awaits collection has become an important part of that effort.

“The bins have been a big improvement as well in terms of rat mitigation. That’s been a huge initiative in the park over the past couple of years and the bins are a big piece of that.”

Bryant Park is informing the next stage at 34th Street

Bryant Park was the first of the two co-managed districts to introduce the metroSTOR system, and the experience is now informing plans for a wider rollout across 34th Street.

The project shows that successful curbside containerization depends on more than capacity alone. Infrastructure has to meet City requirements while working with existing collection methods, servicing needs and streetscape constraints.

At Bryant Park, bringing those requirements together has delivered a clear improvement: waste is securely contained, the street looks better, odour and scattered trash have been reduced, and the system is supporting the park’s wider rat-mitigation efforts. The experience is now helping shape the next stage of containerization across 34th Street.

Looking at containerization for a BID or high-volume public space?

We work with BIDs, municipalities, and public-space operators to develop waste infrastructure around policy requirements, collection volumes, servicing methods and streetscape constraints.

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