STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — City Department of Sanitation Commissioner Javier Lojan visited Staten Island on Tuesday to inform residents of the new trash containerization initiative.
Lojan, who was invited by Bay Street & Beyond, a Staten Island-based volunteer organization focused on initiatives that support small businesses and residents, addressed the community at the Gerard Carter Center in Stapleton.
Bay Street & Beyond prioritizes the needs underserved communities while advancing sustainable development strategies and bringing together residents for comprehensive discussions, through their community mixers, clean-ups and information sessions.
The event featured a presentation led by the commissioner, which informed guests on the impacts of the new initiative on both Staten Island and in the other boroughs, as well as a short Q&A session.
According to Lojan, the timeline for the plan, which aims to keep the streets cleaner, included publication in 2023 and the pilot program this year. While the plan is to containerize 100% of all trash, currently the program addresses 70% of the city’s trash, with the remaining 30% being handled in future phases.
The presentation highlighted the current specifications of bins available, such as the 25-gallon bin recommended for smaller properties; the 35-gallon bin recommended for single-family homes; and the 45-gallon bin recommended for properties with multiple residential units.
For compost, the DSNY offers a 21-gallon bin, which can hold up to 7 three-gallon compost bags and a 13-gallon bin that can hold up to four, three-gallon compost bags.
These compost bins have been extremely helpful in diverting organic materials from landfills, according to the commissioner.
“Before the program went mandatory, city wide, we diverted 53,000 tons. Since the program went mandatory, we diverted over 90,000 tons,” he said. “It’s a 70% increase from year over year. And then as far as Staten Island curbside tonnage goes, it was a 66% increase.”
On top of the news bins, Lojan called attention to other aspects of the new initiative, such as clothing and textile recycling sites, which are now available in all five boroughs, and community e-waste and textile events, which happen across the city to assist in the collection of waste.
“We just had an event on Saturday on Staten Island. It was very, very popular. Over 3,000 residents came out,” said the commissioner concerning the community events. “People were able to dispose of things like batteries, electronics and flammable products.”
Although not applicable to Staten Island, Lojan included the recent addition of the Manhattan Community District 9 Containerization Pilot, which features collection in Empire Bins, the city’s European-style on-street containers.
Empire Bins are locked, stationary containers assigned to a specific property. According to the presentation, each bin can hold approximately four cubic yards of waste and are serviced by new DSNY side-loading trucks. These newer trucks and bins are reserved for high-density areas and apartment buildings, and will not affect most Staten Island residents.
The commissioner also pointed out that while the program has been deemed a success since its start in June of 2025, there are some aspects they are aware need revisions.
“Obviously, there are some adjustments to the program that we have to make. There has been some illegal dumping, but we’re staying on top of that. Graffiti and double parked cars, things like that,” said Lojan. “But like any pilot, you look to learn from it and hopefully improve.”
New York City residents can purchase bins at www.bins.nyc or by calling 1-855-NYC-BINS. They are also available at every Home Depot in New York City, for the same price offered online. According to the presentation, all city properties with 1-9 residential units will be required to use the official NYC Bin for trash set out by June of 2026.
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