Brooklyn Community District 2 is set to follow Manhattan's footsteps, as Mayor Eric Adams and DSNY Acting Commissioner Javier Lojan announce the extension of the successful trash containerization program to the borough. Building on the outcome in West Harlem, schools and higher-density residential buildings in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill will see the installation of on-street Empire Bins this fall, with a citywide expansion slated for 2026. According to the Mayor's office, this move forms part of the so-called 'Trash Revolution,' with Adams stating, "The rats are losing — and Brooklyn is next."
Signs point to a successful campaign as rat sightings reported to 311 have witnessed a steady decline over nine consecutive months, coinciding with the enactment of containerization measures. The initiative was first launched in Community Board 9 in West Harlem utilized roughly 1,100 Empire Bins, coupled with the introduction of North America's first automated side-loading trucks, which efficiently requires only two sanitation workers to operate. The trucks, which hit the streets in April, were delivered by multinational efforts years ahead of expectations.
With regards to logistics, Empire Bins will be accessible to property managers via a key card system. Buildings with 10 to 30 units have the option, post extensive outreach, to either adopt an Empire Bin or use smaller "wheelie bins," a requirement already in place for properties with one to nine units. The Adams administration has been championing containerization as a means to reduce not only the pest population but also improve the overall city cleanliness. In a move that aligns with this agenda, set-out times for both residential and commercial waste were pushed from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., allowing earlier set-out only if material is containerized, as reported by the Mayor's office.
The commitment by Mayor Adams can be seen reflected in the "Future of Trash" report published in April 2023 and the allocation of over $32 million in permanent funding as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget. The funding secures resources for maintaining the city’s cleanliness, with a clear objective to store all trash in secure containers. Following this strategy, Mayor Adams announced in June that 100 percent of trash in Manhattan Community Board 9 had been successfully brought under containerization requirements, as per the Mayor's announcement.
