Creating a Cleaner, More Affordable City: Mayor Adams, Acting DSNY Commissioner Lojan, DOF Commissioner Niblack Announce Automatic Rebates to Qualified Homeowners for Purchase of NYC Bin

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Acting Commissioner Javier Lojan, and New York City Department of Finance (DOF) Commissioner Preston Niblack today announced that owners of one- and two-family homes who receive the Basic or Enhanced School Tax Relief (STAR or E-STAR) credit or exemption will receive a $59.30 check to pay for the cost of their official NYC Bin. Checks are due to hit mailboxes in the coming weeks. Eligible homeowners will not have to do anything to receive the checks, as DOF will automatically be sending them.

As of November 12, 2024, all properties with one to nine residential units — including one- and two-family homes — are required to use bins, 55 gallons or less, with secure lids for trash set out. Those residents who already use a bin of similar size may continue to use it only until June 2026, when they will be required to use the official NYC Bin.

“Building a cleaner New York City is going to require all of us to work together to keep trash off our streets. To encourage everyone to do their part and to help put more money back into the pockets of working-class New Yorkers, we’ll be covering the cost of the NYC Bin for most one- and two-family homeowners,” said Mayor Adams. “Our ‘Trash Revolution’ is now not only making our city cleaner, but also more affordable. I encourage everyone who has not yet to order an NYC Bin to do so today. There’s no reason to wait — cleaning up our city starts at home, so make sure to get your NYC Bin and get cash back.”

“While NYC Bins were already the most affordable containers of their quality on the market, this rebate makes it even easier for homeowners to purchase their NYC Bins,” said Acting NYC Sanitation Commissioner Lojan. “NYC Bins are delivering cleaner streets and sidewalks, and fewer rats, and I encourage those who have not yet ordered their bin to ACT NOW using this rebate.”

“This rebate is one more way we’re making life in the city more affordable for working-class New Yorkers,” said DOF Commissioner Niblack. “By helping cover the cost of an official NYC Bin, we’re making it easier for homeowners to comply with the new rules while reducing the burden on their household budgets. We’re proud to play a part in keeping our city cleaner, healthier, and more affordable for everyone.”

The DOF will send letters in the coming weeks notifying homeowners of this refund:

• Homeowners who have already purchased their NYC Bin online or by phone will automatically receive a check for $59.30.
• Those who have not yet purchased their NYC Bin will receive a letter notifying them that when they purchase their bin online or by calling 855-692-2467, they will automatically receive a check within 30 days of making their purchase.
• Those who have purchased or will purchase their NYC Bin in person at Home Depot will receive a voucher code that they can use online — with a proof of purchase — to request their reimbursement check.

STAR and E-STAR credits and exemptions are generally for property owners whose total household income is less than $500,000. The DOF will mail checks to homeowners who have applied for this credit in 2024 or 2025.

The rat-resistant NYC Bins are compatible with mechanical tippers being installed on DSNY’s standard rear-loading collection trucks, which facilitate safer and cleaner collection.

Today’s announcement builds on Mayor Adams’ commitment to a cleaner, more affordable city, and is another step in the “Trash Revolution,” the Adams administration’s citywide effort to move trash from black bags on the sidewalk to rat-resistant, closed containers: 

• In October 2022, the Adams administration kicked off the Trash Revolution by changing set-out times for both residential and commercial waste from 4:00 PM — one of the earliest set-out times in the country — to 8:00 PM beginning in April 2023, while also allowing earlier set-out if the material is in a container. This incentivization of containerization was paired with major changes to DSNY operations, picking up well over a quarter of all trash at 12:00 AM rather than at 6:00 AM, particularly in high density parts of the city, and ending a practice by which up to one-fifth of trash had been purposefully left out for a full day.  
• Later that month, DSNY published the “Future of Trash” report, the first meaningful attempt to study containerization models in New York City, and the playbook to get it done.  
• In July 2023, containerization requirements went into effect for all food-related businesses in New York City. These businesses — restaurants, delis, bodegas, bars, grocery stores, caterers, and more — produce an outsized amount of the type of trash that attracts rats.  
• That same month, installation of the initial 10-block, 14-school, Manhattan Community Board 9 pilot containers began leading to reductions in rat sightings of approximately 60 percent. 
• In September 2023, commercial containerization requirements extended to chain businesses of any type with five or more locations in New York City. These chain businesses tend to produce a large total volume of trash. 
• In February 2024, Mayor Adams unveiled a new, automated, side-loading garbage truck and a new data-driven containerization strategy, affirming a commitment from Mayor Adams’ 2024 State of the City address to set New York City on the course to store all trash put out for pickup in containers. This truck was unveiled four years earlier than industry experts thought possible.
• In March 2024, container requirements went into effect for all businesses — of every type — in New York City to get their trash off the streets and into a secure bin.  
• In November 2024, container requirements went into effect for low-density residential buildings — those with one to nine units — containerizing approximately 70 percent of all trash in the city.  
• In May 2025, Mayor Adams committed over $32 million in permanent funding for DSNY to keep New York City clean as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget, better known as the “Best Budget Ever.” This decision permanently allocates resources to key aspects of Mayor Adams’ cleanliness agenda, establishing permanent high levels of funding to protect the cleanliness and quality of life of city neighborhoods for generations to come. 
• In June 2025, Mayor Adams announced that — following the installation of approximately 1,100 on-street containers for residential trash from the largest buildings — 100 percent of trash in Manhattan Community Board 9 is now covered by containerization requirements.

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