On October 12, State Assemblyman William Colton addressed the need for the city to provide free garbage bins, collaborating with 550 Brooklyn residents to launch a petition for this cause. The city of New York’s new “Trash Revolution” regulations require residential buildings with nine units or fewer to switch to covered official garbage bins starting November 12; failure to comply will result in fines exceeding $50 per incident.

To combat urban cleanliness and rodent issues, Mayor Eric Adams announced in July a two-phase plan requiring homeowners and landlords of such residences to adopt these new garbage bin measures. The first phase mandates the switch to 55-gallon covered garbage bins without requiring any official markings by November 12. The second phase will see a complete transition to city-marked official NYC bins, featuring secure lids, to be enforced by June 2026.

According to city information, there are two sizes of official garbage bins available for purchase: a 35-gallon bin priced at $45.88 and a 45-gallon bin at $53.01. Residents can buy these bins through the official city website.

Colton argued that the city should provide these bins for free, stating that the new regulations impose an economic burden on low-income families. He recalled the city’s previous initiative of distributing compost bins for free and suggested that garbage bins should be handled similarly. “Many residents already have bins that comply with city regulations. The government should not require struggling homeowners to spend an additional $50,” he said.

He also reminded the public that starting November 12, the city will begin issuing warnings to homeowners who do not utilize the new covered garbage bins, with fines commencing in January 2025. The first offense will incur a $50 fine, escalating to $100 for a second offense, with further increases for subsequent violations.

In response, Jessica Tisch, Commissioner of the Department of Sanitation, acknowledged the severity of the rodent problem but deemed it “unreasonable” to force those who already have compliant bins to purchase new, city-marked bins. She expressed concern that this move would impose additional financial stress on elderly residents and low-income homeowners.

As of now, the city has yet to respond to the petition put forth by Assemblyman Colton and the Brooklyn residents.