Trash cans are disappearing in New Jersey’s second-largest city. And officials say that’s the point.
It is part of a pilot program in Jersey City, where officials are looking to save some money in the face of serious budget concerns.
The idea is relatively simple: The city has pulled dozens of trash cans off the streets in recent weeks, with the goal of having public workers deal with fewer pickups and thereby become more efficient. Officials also believe it will discourage people from leaving household trash in municipal containers.
A city spokesperson told NBC New York that Jersey City started with 1,300 litter baskets, and 65 were removed in the last six weeks — 5% of the city’s total bins.
“The City is taking a holistic look at all of our trash and litter collections to ensure we are operating as efficiently as possible, and part of this pilot is to see if removing the baskets actually reduces trash and litter,” a spokesperson for Mayor James Solomon said in a statement.
While City Hall hopes it will save money, others say the plan is just garbage.
“It will be [a] mess. They need to look at the mess over here,” said resident Raj Patel. “If you remove it, people gonna throw it in the street, garbage.”
Ward C Councilman Thomas Zuppa has heard from his concerned constituents, many of whom are paying 15% more in local taxes in 2026 as the city deals with a $255 million budget shortfall.
“They’re upset, but I try to tell them, be patient. Let’s see how the pilot goes,” said Zuppa. “This is a tough situation to begin. We hit our residents with a tax increase, and they’re seeing decrease in services. Now we have to find a way to bring back some of those savings and make their experience a little bit better.”
According to the councilman, the pilot program is scheduled to last for 60 days. The mayor’s office said it is open to feedback from the public.