Thirty-five years after they were introduced in Ireland, New York City mayor Eric Adams has unveiled the city's first official NYC bin for rubbish pickup, along with a timeline aimed at getting residential units to put their rubbish into containers.
The bin, equipped with wheels and a secure latching lid, is "affordable," according to the Mayor, with prices below $50 for the most common size, and now available for purchase.
Starting 12 November 2024, the Department of Sanitation will require all buildings with 1-9 residential units to put their rubbish in containers, rather than leaving plastic bags out for pickup.
And in 2025, the city will introduce a district-wide waste container pilot.
"Beginning in one district, Manhattan Community Board 9, we have a plan to make West Harlem look like Barcelona, complete with large on-street containers and automated side loading trucks," said New York City's Department of Sanitation Commissioner, Jessica Tisch.
Last August, waste requirements went into effect for all food-related businesses in New York City.
The goal of the "trash revolution" is to get bin bags and waste off the streets, improving cleanliness and reducing the city's rat population.
"When I, when I go abroad and when I visit other countries, they are blown away that we still use plastic bags," the Mayor said.
"We all have one unified dislike. And those are those pesky New York City rats. They're getting more and more bold. They no longer run from you. They just hang out and just do what they want. And we want to make sure we change that in a real way."
New York City’s 8.3 million residents produce around 14 billion annual pounds of trash, according to the Mayor's Office.
In 1989, RTÉ's Regional Reporter Teresa Mannion reported on the introduction of wheelie bins for Ireland.
Wheelie Bins Introduced
— RTÉ Archives (@RTEArchives) June 6, 2024
"The Toter Bin System claims to be kinder to the environment."
WATCH: RTÉ News reports #OnThisDay in 1989https://t.co/nZUy3iZI4h
