Hiring a Private Carter

Commercial Waste Disposal

All businesses must either arrange with a private carter to have their waste collected, or obtain a "Self-Hauler" registration from the Business Integrity Commission (BIC) and transport their waste using a vehicle with commercial license plates.

Private Carter Registration

It is unlawful for any person to remove, collect or dispose of trade waste generated in the course of a person's or firm's business without first having registered with the BIC.

Fines:

• Up to $10,000

All private carters must be licensed by BIC.

Private carters are responsible for placing waste containers inside or to the rear of the customer's premises after they have been emptied.

Private carters are also responsible for removing spillage during collection. This does not relieve the merchant, commercial establishment, or business from their responsibility to keep their area clean or remove containers. Questions and/or complaints about private carters should be addressed to the Business Integrity Commission – call 311 or visit nyc.gov/bic.

To transport commercial waste as an individual merchant, business, firm, etc., your business must obtain a "Self-Hauler" registration from BIC, transport the waste using a vehicle with commercial license plates, and arrange to dump at a permitted private transfer station. Trash, recycling, and organic waste that is required to be source-separated must be transported separately at all times.

Pricing Guidelines and Competitive Rates

Private carters can bill customers based on volume or weight, or they charge a flat fee. Their invoices must include an itemized list of charges. BIC sets the maximum rates that private carters can charge for certain services. Getting quotes from multiple carters is highly recommended and may save on costs.

In some cases, neighboring businesses can share collection service to reduce costs. A merchant who disposes of a smaller amount of waste (less than 20 gallons over seven consecutive days) can share private carter service with an adjacent store. Both businesses sharing private carter services must be offered written documentation by the private carter and given a free decal.

Private Carter Decals

Businesses must post and maintain an official (BIC) decal for each carter utilized. The decal(s) should be posted on the window of your business or somewhere visible from the street and must include the carter's name, address, phone number, and license. The decal must also describe the type of material being collected, the service(s) provided (trash collection, source-separated recycling, co-collection or single-stream collection of recycling) and the days and times the service(s) is provided. Businesses must also keep a copy of their contract or receipt readily available.

Merchants that transport their trash or recyclable materials themselves must post their BIC decal with their Self-Hauler registration number.

For multi-tenant buildings, property management should maintain a list of all tenants that share private carter service as part of the same agreement. Ground-floor retail businesses in such buildings must also post and maintain a separate decal.

Fine:

• $50

NOTE: A merchant who disposes of a small amount of trash or recyclable materials (less than 20 gallons over seven consecutive days) can share private carter service with one or more other merchants. Merchants sharing private carter services must be offered a written documentation by the private carter and given a free decal. For merchants sharing private carter service, the private carter should agree on a point of collection which should be at one of the merchant's establishments, and within walking distance of the other merchant's establishment. Under no circumstances can a merchant dispose of any trash or recyclable materials in a public DSNY litter basket or set out their waste with a business that receives collection service from DSNY.

DSNY Fee-based Collection Service

Some professionals, such as physicians, accountants, lawyers, or other licensed professionals operating within residential buildings, qualify to have DSNY collect their trash and recyclables.

New York Licensed professionals must have offices in houses or apartment buildings currently receiving DSNY service to qualify. Annual fees are charged based on the estimated average number of 20-gallon bags of recyclables and trash that is generated per week. Find out more about fee-based collection service for professionals.

Professional establishments are required to separate the same materials designated for residential recycling. We do not collect and dispose of regulated medical, laboratory, or surgical waste. Professionals must contract with a private hauler for collection and disposal.

Fine:

• $50 - $100