New NYC Garbage Container Program: What Murray Hill Residents Should Know

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for its proposed Citywide Containerization Program, a plan that would gradually replace curbside garbage bags with containers throughout New York City.

What is changing?

Today, many apartment buildings place garbage bags directly on the sidewalk for collection.

Under the proposed program, many residential buildings would instead place their trash in containers to help reduce rats, keep sidewalks cleaner, reduce odors, and improve the appearance of city streets.

What does this mean for your building?

Buildings with 1–9 apartments

Nothing new.

These buildings will continue using individual garbage bins with tight-fitting lids, as required under current rules.

Buildings with 10–30 apartments

These buildings would have a choice.

They could either:

• Continue using individual garbage bins with lids (up to 55 gallons), or
• Switch to the City’s new large shared curbside containers.

Buildings with 31 or more apartments

These buildings would be required to use the new curbside containers.

Under the proposal, they would no longer place garbage bags directly on the sidewalk. Each container would be assigned to a specific building and would only be used by that building

When will this happen?

The City plans to roll the program out gradually across all five boroughs, with full implementation expected by June 1, 2032.

At this time, no neighborhood-specific rollout schedule has been announced, so we do not yet know when Murray Hill would be affected.

What questions remain?

While the proposal explains the overall program, it leaves many questions unanswered.

For example:

• Will the City provide the containers, or will building owners have to purchase them?
• Will the containers end up directly in front of apartment building entrances if there is nowhere else for them to go?
• Could they be placed directly in front of restaurants, cafés, or other small businesses?
• Could they interfere with tree beds, tree guards, or pedestrian access?
• How will they affect loading zones for businesses?
• Will they stay on the current pickup schedule?
• What happens if a container becomes full before collection?

There are also questions that are especially important in neighborhoods like Murray Hill:

• If your building is located on a street with a dedicated bus lane, where would the container go?
• What if there is a bike lane in front of the building?
• What if the curb is occupied by a Citi Bike station, bus stop, fire hydrant, or other permanent street feature?
• Would those buildings be exempt from the requirement, or would the containers be placed in front of another building?

One thing the City studied was how these containers could affect historic districts. The City says they would not make a big difference to the look and feel of historic neighborhoods. But every neighborhood is different, and Murray Hill residents know their streets best. Do you think the placement of these containers could change the character of our Historic District?

How can you share your thoughts?

The City is currently accepting public comments before making final decisions.

Public Hearing

Tuesday, July 28, 2026
10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Held virtually via Microsoft Teams.

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/219272571493081?p=9Whex9DUHI9nZxy0DJ

Meeting ID: 219 272 571 493 081

Passcode: Ga3j6mG2

Written comments will also be accepted through August 7, 2026. Please consider CC’ing MHNA so we can better understand our neighbors’ concerns.

Email: containerEIS@dsny.nyc.gov

CC MHNA: Email: info@murrayhillnyc.org

If you have questions, concerns, or ideas about how this program should be implemented in neighborhoods like Murray Hill, this is your opportunity to make your voice heard.

The official Notice of the New York City Department of Sanitation is included for anyone interested in reading the City’s proposal in full.