How To Secure Your NYC Bins From Theft

You have your NYC Bins. Now how do you mark them with your house number?

CITIBIN Founder Liz Picarazzi received her brand new, clean NYC Bins last week, and realized they needed to be marked with her address. Both as a deterrent from theft, and so they're not mixed up with neighbors' NYC Bins. With compost bins, for obvious reasons, theft hasn't been a concern. But these brand spanking new NYC Bins will soon be a hot commodity, especially for early adopters.

Protecting your NYC Bins from theft

The best way to secure your NYC Bins from theft is to park them in a CITIBIN, of course. But that doesn't protect them from theft on the curb. The next line of defense is to mark them with your house address with big letters. Liz didn't want to sloppily mark her NYC Bins with a Sharpie, spray paint, or lettering from Home Depot, so she turned to one of her favorite places: Etsy.  

She found a graphic designer, Stefanie of Vanek Creative Market, who does specialty printing, including address decals for trash cans. So niche! The white area of the NYC Bins is 4" x 9.5", so they made a customized template for New Yorkers, available on Stefanie's store. 

This is how the house number decal looks on the side and the top. This address is generic. The side lettering is in black, and the top in light gray. 

The house number decals are available here, and cost $13 for 2, plus shipping.  

Or, you could mark your new bins with a Sharpie or spray paint. We don't mean to trash shame you for the way you label your cans!

Limited Time Promotion: With the purchase of a CITIBIN, we'll buy your NYC Bins and label them 

We're making containerization really easy and secure. Get your CITIBIN, NYC Bins, and house number decals all at once. It's a trash triple play.

Quotes are free, and in most cases in NYC we can meet at your property to take measurements and see what you need. Just complete this QUOTE REQUEST FORM to get started. 

Important Trash Dates in New York City

On November 12, 2024, a massive and long overdue change is happening in New York City:  residents in 1-9 unit buildings may no longer put loose trash bags on the curb for collection. Black bags must go in bins with tight lids. Until June 2026 you may use your existing trash bins, as long as they have tightly closed lids. 
The next major change is in June 2026, when residents in 1-9 unit buildings must use the official NYC Bin, available for sale online through the vendor OTTO.