NYC Empire Bin Program Update: What We Know and How to Comment by August 7

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for its proposed Citywide Containerization Program.

The goal is to get garbage bags off sidewalks, reduce rats and keep streets cleaner. MHNA supports these goals. However, large containers placed permanently in the street could create new concerns for Murray Hill.

Written comments will be accepted until Friday, August 7, 2026 at 5:00PM.

What is being proposed?

The rules would depend on the number of residential units in a building:

• Buildings with 1–9 units: These buildings are not part of the new Empire Bin proposal. They must continue using smaller wheeled NYC Bins under current DSNY rules.
• Buildings with 10–30 units: These buildings could choose between the official NYC Bins already being used and the new on-street Empire Bins.
• Buildings with 31 or more units: These buildings would be required to use the new on-street Empire Bins.

The program would be introduced in phases across the city, with full implementation planned by June 1, 2032. DSNY has not announced when it would reach Murray Hill.

What do we know about the Empire Bins?

Empire Bins would be placed in the street, usually in a parking lane in front of or near the building using them.

Each bin would be about 6 feet long, 5 feet wide and just over 5 feet tall. Some buildings may need more than one.

The City would lease the bins from the Empire Bins manufacturer and be responsible for installing and maintaining them.

DSNY says the bins would not be placed in bus lanes, bike lanes, bus stops, loading zones, Citi Bike stations, Open Restaurants areas or other restricted curb spaces.

The City would clean the bins at least four times a year. This would include removing graffiti. Building owners would be responsible for keeping the area around the bins clean.

What questions remain for Murray Hill?

The City’s plan does not clearly explain what would happen when a building has no available curb space nearby.

This is especially important in Murray Hill, where some of our largest apartment buildings are located on 34th Street and on other avenues with bus lanes.

MHNA is asking:

• Where would Empire Bins go for mid-block buildings on 34th Street, which has bus lanes on both sides, or for corner buildings on 34th St. that have bus lanes on each side of the corner?
• What would happen to buildings on Madison, Lexington, Third, Second and First Avenues where bus lanes and other street uses leave no available space?
• Would these buildings receive an exception?
• Would building staff have to carry heavy garbage bags to another street?
• If a bin cannot be placed in front of its building, could it be placed in front of another apartment building, restaurant or small business?
• Will DSNY agree not to place Empire Bins directly in front of street trees or tree beds?
• How much space would be left around tree beds so trees can be watered, cleaned, pruned, and cared for, and so the tree beds are not stepped on during use or servicing of the bins?
• Will DSNY avoid placing bins directly in front of restaurant entrances, storefront windows and other small businesses?
• Will the location of bins in the Murray Hill Historic District receive a closer review?
• Would buildings and nearby businesses be able to review or appeal a proposed location?
• How quickly would graffiti, damage, odors or overflowing trash be addressed between scheduled cleanings?

Protecting Murray Hill’s trees and tree beds

Murray Hill’s street trees already face difficult conditions. Their tree beds need room for watering, cleaning, pruning and repairs to tree guards.

The program should ensure that trash, leaking liquids, and illegally dumped items do not end up in tree beds or block rainwater from reaching the soil.

MHNA is asking DSNY to set a clear minimum distance between Empire Bins and street trees and tree beds.

Protecting restaurants and small businesses

Many Murray Hill apartment buildings share their blocks with restaurants, cafés, shops and other small businesses.

These businesses already face challenges from scaffolding, construction, limited visibility, delivery restrictions and reduced curb space. A permanent garbage container directly in front of an entrance or window could make a business harder to see and less welcoming to customers.

Bins could also have an effect on restaurants, outdoor dining areas and businesses that depend on an attractive storefront.

MHNA is asking DSNY to avoid placing Empire Bins directly in front of restaurants and small businesses whenever possible, and to allow the business in front of which a bin would be placed to raise concerns before a location is approved.

Protecting the Murray Hill Historic District

The character of the Murray Hill Historic District comes from more than individual buildings. Its architecture, including brownstones, stoops, entrances, iron railings, and tree-lined streets, works together to tell the story of the neighborhood.

An Empire Bin would be just over five feet tall and remain in place all day, every day. One or more bins could block views of stoops, entrances and the lower parts of historic buildings. They could also break up the look and rhythm of a historic block.

DSNY concluded that the program would not have a major effect on historic districts. The City compared the size of the bins to parked vehicles and said they would not block important views.

MHNA believes permanent plastic garbage containers are different from parked cars that come and go. Their color, size, location and possible placement in groups could change the streetscape and the way people see and experience the Historic District.

We are asking for a block-by-block review within the Murray Hill Historic District, with input from the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the community before locations are approved.

MHNA’s position

MHNA supports efforts to reduce rats and keep garbage bags off our sidewalks. However, the program should reflect the needs of each block.

Murray Hill has limited free curb space, several major bus-lane corridors, large buildings mixed in among historic buildings, important street trees, restaurants and small businesses, and a Historic District that deserves careful protection.

MHNA’s Preservation & Design Committee, along with its Quality of Life and Green & Clean Committees, have written to DSNY with these questions and concerns. You can read the letters below.

Send your comments and concerns by August 7

Residents, building owners, building staff, restaurants and other small businesses are encouraged to tell DSNY how this proposal could affect their buildings and blocks.

Your comments can be brief. Consider including:

• Your address or block
• Any bus lanes, bike lanes, loading zones or other curb restrictions nearby
• Concerns about safety, access, deliveries or the location of a bin
• Street trees or tree beds that should be protected
• Possible effects on a restaurant or small business
• Historic buildings, stoops, entrances or streetscape views that could be blocked
• Suggestions for exceptions or other collection methods

Email comments before 5:00 PM on Friday, August 7, 2026:

To: containerEIS@dsny.nyc.gov
CC: info@murrayhillnyc.org
Suggested subject: Comments on Citywide Containerization Program

Comments may also be mailed to:

Abas Braimah
New York City Department of Sanitation
125 Worth Street, Room 710
New York, NY 10013

Mailed comments must be postmarked by August 7.

Please consider copying MHNA so we can better understand the concerns of Murray Hill residents, buildings and businesses.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement and other program documents are available on DSNY’s website.

Manhattan Community Board 8 will also hold a joint Sanitation and Environment and Transportation Committee meeting with DSNY on Monday, August 3, at 6:30 PM on Zoom. Advance registration is required.