NEW YORK. Brooklyn’s first residential Empire Bins are being installed in Community District 2, beginning a shift from bags on sidewalks to sealed containers on the street. The initiative, known as Brooklyn Empire Bins, is expected to transform waste management in the area.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson launched the installation Thursday. The October 29 announcement says more than 700 bins are being installed and the district is expected to have all trash containerized by the end of fall. That is a rollout target, not a statement that every bin is already in place.

The Brooklyn Empire Bins project aims to enhance cleanliness and sustainability in the community.

The affected district includes Downtown Brooklyn, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Fulton Ferry, DUMBO, Vinegar Hill, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. This is a New York City sanitation program; it does not change collection rules in Utica or other Mohawk Valley communities.

Which Brooklyn buildings must use the bins?

DSNY’s district-specific guidance divides residential properties into three groups:

• 31 or more apartments: Buildings must use the stationary Empire Bins assigned to their properties.
• 10 to 30 apartments: Buildings could choose Empire Bins during the registration period. Those that did not opt in must use the smaller official NYC Bins.
• One to nine apartments: Properties already must use official NYC Bins for trash.

The registration and opt-in period closed July 31. Owners of multiple properties needed a separate form for each one. The current installation announcement does not reopen that deadline.

For renters, the key distinction is that a large container outside a building is not a public trash can. Each Empire Bin is assigned to a property and locked. Residents should not assume they can open the nearest bin or use one belonging to a neighboring building.

What residents and building staff should do

Under DSNY’s operating instructions, residents should continue taking waste to their building’s designated collection area. Building staff and waste managers use access cards to open the assigned containers.

Staff can put bagged household trash inside at any time of day. The department says collection schedules do not change. The bins are for trash only, not recycling or compost, and bags should not be left beside them.

After unlocking the container, staff use its foot, hand or lid controls, place the bag inside and close the lid so it locks again. Property managers must keep the surrounding area clear and clean; DSNY maintains the container and empties it with a side-loading truck.

Owners and managers can use the service-request link on DSNY’s Empire Bins page for access-card problems, damage or other service issues.

Capacity, bulky items and collection access

The department’s FAQ says a bin holds about four cubic yards, or 793 gallons. Some buildings need more than one. A property that lacks enough capacity should file a service request so DSNY can assess whether additional bins are needed.

Furniture and other large items that do not fit belong at the curb in front of the building on its trash-only collection day, not against the containers. The department also warns drivers not to double-park near the bins, because collection trucks need room to work.

The aim is to keep trash bags enclosed so rodents cannot easily tear them open. The launch announcement does not provide new Brooklyn data measuring changes in rats, missed pickups or sidewalk conditions.

Six more districts are planned for 2027

The next expansion covers Bronx districts 2 and 5, Queens district 2, Manhattan district 2, Brooklyn district 8 and Staten Island district 1. City Hall expects that phase to reach more than 3,500 buildings with more than 6,500 Empire Bins. The city’s stated goal is full containerization by the end of 2031.

One rollout detail remains unclear. A July DSNY announcement projected approximately 1,700 bins in Brooklyn Community District 2; Thursday’s announcement says more than 700. The notices do not explain the difference or establish that the totals use the same counting basis. They should not be treated as proof of a specific reduction.

Featured image: AI-generated illustration created with GPT Image 2 for the Utica Phoenix. Conceptual streetscape, not a photograph or an exact rendering of Empire Bins.