New York City鈥檚 impending trash revolution is hitting bumps in the road as some property and business owners say thieves are stealing their trash bins right off the sidewalks. By November, any residential building with nine or fewer units will be required to curb its trash in containers with secure lids. The same mandate has been in place for city businesses since March.
In two years, the city will require those bins to be replaced by the official NYC Bin. It鈥檚 part of Mayor Eric Adams’ effort to containerize waste across the city with the goal of eliminating the piles of trash bags from sidewalks, which would in turn reduce a key food source for rats. But the change has already frustrated Rockaway resident David Selig, 59, who bought trash bins for a set of Queens rental properties he owns. He began using the bins at his buildings in April, months before he鈥檚 required to do so.
His bins soon started disappearing. Within weeks, Selig said he lost six of them to thieves. He noted they cost roughly $100 apiece, and he鈥檚 refraining from buying new ones until the sanitation department鈥檚 bin requirements take effect in November. 鈥淚 believe my experience is a sample of a growing trend,鈥� said Selig 鈥淚 was finding myself frustrated on a biweekly basis by cans that would be disappearing.鈥�