Secure Trash Bins New Requirement in NYC Wherever Prepared Food is Sold

New York City’s new trash containerization laws will affect restaurant, grocery, hotel, and bodega owners

15-second recap: New York City Mayor Eric Adams expanded on the city’s recently introduced trash setout laws. The new trash containerization rules affect restaurants and require the secure containerization of food related trash. They take effect on July 30, 2023. 

Over the last week, New York restaurant owners have been googling expressions like restaurant trash rules NYC, and containerization requirements for NYC restaurants. That’s because beginning July 30, a new trash rule affecting New York businesses that serve food – including restaurants, grocery stores, and bodegas – will require the containerization of food related trash.

The new restaurant laws are part of the city’s war on rats and will affect businesses beyond eateries. Restaurant associations, private haulers and even co-op and condo boards renting commercial space to food related businesses will be impacted by the laws meant to banish rat-friendly plastic garbage bags.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams and Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch outlined the new plan in a joint press conference in late June.

Fast facts about NYC’s new restaurant containerization laws

As per Mayor Adams and Commissioner Tisch’s joint statement:

• The new restaurant container laws are meant to eliminate food waste and cut down on rats running free on city sidewalks.
• The containerization laws will affect 40,000 businesses (25 percent of all businesses in the city)
• As per the new laws, trash must be placed in secure, rodent-proof containers.
• The containers should be between 30 and 96 gallons.
• There are three places the bins may be placed: inside the property, within three feet of the property, or in the curb lane (through the Clean Curbs process).
• Chain stores with more than five locations will be required to containerize their trash.
• The Mayor’s Office is working closely with the restaurant industry, retail outlets, and NYC Small Business Services (SBS) to create solutions for various businesses. “We are listening to our partners to effectively address this issue, allowing substantial flexibility on the type and location of containers used as long as they are secured and keep out rodents. Putting out garbage in containers is a proven solution.”
• The mayor takes the rat problem in NYC so seriously, that he recently appointed Kathy Corradi as Director of Rodent Mitigation.

Here's everything you need to know about  New York City’s new trash setout laws. Headline: the put-out time changed from 4 p.m to 8 p.m. 

The CITIBIN solution

While trash containerization is a new concept for many restaurants and food-based businesses in and around New York, at CITIBIN we’ve been working in the industry for over 12 years. In fact, CITIBIN has a strong history working with the city on municipal trash enclosures and currently has our beautifully designed trash bins in over 60 locations around New York City, including 20 Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), across all 5 Boros. And that doesn't count the 3000 bins around NYC for residential customers. 

CITIBINS banish rats all over the city including Lincoln Center, Corona Plaza, Bronx 3rd Avenue, Union Square, Noho, and Wall Street. And we’ve toughed it out for over a year in Times Square. “Of all the places in the world, Times Square might be the most punishing or aggressive on trash containers, which is the ultimate proof of durability,” said CITIBIN CEO Liz Picarazzi. As the founder of a woman-owned business, she added “If you can make it in Times Square, you can make it anywhere.”

Restaurants may not have a choice, but they do have options

Some people are concerned with the aesthetic impacts of the new trash rules. In an article on Crain’s New York Business titled City requires food-related businesses to store trash in containers, Andrew Rigie, head of New York City Hospitality Alliance, expressed concern that permanent containers on the sidewalk could serve as “ugly obstructions.” But that’s not the case with CITIBIN which focuses on both functionality and a sleek design aesthetic. In fact, CITIBINs come in multiple sizes and styles and can be highly customized (including room for flowers or shrubs) or wrapped with a restaurant’s logo. 

The NYC Department of Sanitation has used CITIBIN as the vendor for every single Clean Curbs installation in all five boroughs. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by NYC’s new restaurant containerization laws andthe extensive application process for permits, we’d like to help. CITIBIN has already taken 60 locations through the Clean Curbs process, and we’d love to work with you.

Call us to discuss a new solution for your food-related business. CITIBIN creates customized trash management solutions for restaurants, supermarkets, hotels and groceries and we’d love to design one for your business. We can look at your property on Google Earth to see whether or where containers can be placed. There are options!

Call us at 347.549.4121

Email us at info@citibin.com