New York Garbage ‘Containerization’ Pilot Not Replicable at Scale

A pilot program for ‘containerization’ of New York City’s garbage can’t be applied citywide, according to Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Kevin Duggan reports on the story for Streetsblog NYC, quoting Tisch as saying, “This is an incredibly resource-intensive pilot, and this approach is not scalable beyond its current scope.”

The department is evaluating possible avenues for containerization, the practice of streamlining trash collection by putting all trash in containers that can be picked up by automated cranes on trucks. “Tisch called the effort ‘one of the most complicated infrastructure projects’ for the city in the coming decade.” 

While the pilot was successful in getting trash bags off the sidewalk, bags still ended up outside the containers, making it difficult to speed up the process since workers still have to exit trucks to load the bags. A successful container program requires frequent pickup, often once or even twice a day as opposed to the city’s current schedule of every two to three days. Meanwhile, the need to use curbside space previously reserved for parking is expected to receive pushback from some resident groups. 

Residents and landlords in the pilot block, however, say the program vastly improved sanitation conditions. “On W. 45th Street, Streetsblog found about a month into the pilot that the bins kept the sidewalk blissfully clear of the usual mounds of black garbage sacks New Yorkers have to weave around on the eves of collection days.”