The Big NYC Dumpster Debate – Where Should They Go?
New York City is paving the way for change. In the coming years, the piles of trash bags that line the sidewalks are set to gradually disappear as the city moves to adopt secure, lidded bins. While this will go a long way to creating a cleaner, healthier city, the reality of where these bins will actually go is sparking a lot of conversation.
The obvious answer – the sidewalk… Trash has been placed here for decades, and lidded bins help to get rid of that eyesore (and the stench). However, almost half of NYC’s sidewalks are narrower than 9ft. Factor in a row of bins and the area for pedestrians takes a big hit.
What about inside? Buildings in New York City have notoriously limited unused space, and nearly 20 percent of the buildings covered by new rules have a storefront on the ground floor. This leaves little room for storing the containers between collections, and inevitably, sidewalks are the first things to suffer again.
If the goal is to get trash off the sidewalk, why don’t we do exactly that? One idea is to take the bins into the curb lane and out of pedestrians’ way altogether. This would allow use of larger, so-called ‘European-style’ dumpsters to be used communally by multiple dwellings and businesses. All well and good, but curb lanes in many cases contain parking and/or loading bays, bikeshare stations and even outdoor dining areas.
One particular Manhattan location between First and Second avenue is already at bursting point. Both sides of the narrow, one-way street have parking, and the busy sidewalks are packed with houses and restaurants. A 2023 sanitation report even deemed the street unsuitable for dumpsters, as 25% of the curb space would be lost.
While the answer might not be straightforward, what is clear is that there probably is no one-size-fits-all solution. Luckily, metroSTOR offer a number of solutions to cover a variety of scenarios, from on-street dumpster enclosures to access controlled organics cart enclosures. Mayor Adams’ ‘Trash Revolution’ is in full effect for businesses. With November fast approaching, trash containerization will soon be mandatory for residential properties with fewer than 10 units too. The next question is, will NYC be ready?
