New York City is expanding a trash-bin experiment that appears to be delivering on one of its biggest promises: fewer rats.
Officials are moving ahead after early use of the bins in West Harlem and Morningside Heights coincided with a 25% drop in rat sightings, and the program is now set to spread across all five boroughs.
Here's what to know
Under the plan Mayor Zohran Mamdani described to CBS News New York, the city would add more than 6,500 of the large curbside "Empire Bins" in 18 neighborhoods by the end of 2027.
The containers are designed to hold dozens of large trash bags, keeping loose garbage off sidewalks and out of rodents' reach.
The next phase will extend to parts of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, including Prospect Heights and Crown Heights in Brooklyn, Hunts Point in the Bronx, the West Village in Manhattan, Sunnyside in Queens, and Staten Island's North Shore.
"No matter your politics, frankly, the only disappointed constituency will be rats," Mamdani said.
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More background
The bins will not be used the same way in every neighborhood.
Buildings with 10 to 30 units will be allowed to use either Empire Bins or the wheeled containers already used by smaller properties, while buildings with 30 or more units will have to switch to Empire Bins.
Beyond this rollout, the administration says it wants the whole city using containerized trash collection by the end of 2031, replacing the long-standing practice of setting bagged garbage out on the curb for pickup.
People in neighborhoods where the bins are already in place describe a mixed experience: fewer rats but less curb space because the containers take up street space.
What's being done?
By expanding containerized trash collection to more neighborhoods, the city is trying to improve access to food waste — one of the main conditions that allow rats to thrive.
Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson emphasized the broader shift, saying, "We are ending the decades-long era of trash bags on our streets in New York City."
Residents already living with the bins have offered mixed feedback. West Harlem resident Aarie Thomas said, "I would say the worst part about them is they take up parking that we already don't have."
Others say the tradeoff is worth it. West Harlem resident Cynthia Scott said, "What's more important? Losing two parking spots or controlling the rat infestation?"
Where can I learn more?
The Empire Bin rollout is just one piece of New York City's broader push to make trash harder for rats to access. These articles examine how the city is combining containerized pickup with composting changes and even fertility control to shrink the rat population.
• NYC is pushing citywide curbside composting to keep food scraps off sidewalks.
• New York is also testing rat contraception to reduce the city's stubborn rodent population.
Read alongside the bin expansion, they make clear that the city is trying to cut off rats' food supply on several fronts and slow their growth. They also show why trash policy has become such a big part of New York's fight against rodents.
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