The Future of New York City's Trash Management

New York City officials are considering a new approach to trash collection called containerization, which has been successful in cities across Europe and Asia. However, implementing the strategy in New York would require removing up to 150,000 parking spots, and up to 25% of parking spots on some blocks. The cost of implementing trash containerization citywide could easily cost hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade. The new approach could revolutionize trash collection in New York, but it would require trade-offs, including sacrificing more parking spots than were taken for outdoor dining or the city’s popular bike-share program.