Council Member Simcha Felder is renewing his call for the Department of Sanitation to pause enforcement of the city’s mandatory NYC Bin program and dismiss, or treat as warnings, summonses issued since full enforcement began on September 8.
Felder says residents are struggling to obtain the required containers while bins are appearing on the resale market at inflated prices and some homeowners are reporting that bins have been stolen from their property. He previously raised concerns about availability in a May letter to the mayor. DSNY delayed enforcement until September 8, but enforcement has now begun despite what Felder describes as continuing supply problems.
Felder also criticized the decision to make Home Depot the sole authorized retailer for the NYC Bin. He argues that limiting sales to one retailer has contributed to shortages and made the bins harder to obtain, particularly for residents who do not have convenient access to Home Depot locations. “One retailer cannot carry the weight of an entire city’s compliance,” Felder said. “If the City is going to mandate a specific container, it should not also restrict who’s allowed to sell it.”
Felder is asking DSNY to pause enforcement, dismiss existing tickets until supplies are reliable, allow additional retailers to sell the approved bins, and review inventory and distribution citywide. He emphasized that he supports the goal of cleaner streets but believes enforcement should wait until residents can reasonably comply. “The goal should be compliance, not punishment,” Felder said.
