NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- New York City's "war on rats" intensified Tuesday as Mayor Eric Adams announced all businesses across the five boroughs must put their trash in bins starting early next year.
Adams joined Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch on the Upper West Side to give businesses a six-month heads-up that all commercial trash must be containerized starting on March 1, 2024.
"This is a huge deal," Adams said outside Gray's Papaya, which he and other officials held up as a model of good containerizing.
"Public enemy number one are rats, and we're going to get rid of them," the mayor said. "Public enemy number two are our garbage bags. They are the coconspirators in the rat crisis that we're seeing."
Businesses will have flexibility on the types of containers they use as long as they have a lid and secure sides to keep rats out, officials said. The containers may be stored either inside or within 3 feet of the property line.
The rules expand on a requirement launched on July 30 that all food-related businesses—including restaurants, caterers, grocery stores, delis and bodegas—must put their waste in plastic bins instead of in black trash bags on the curb.
Businesses that fail to comply will face fines. The sanitation department issued over 22,000 warnings to food businesses that were not following the month-old guidance, officials said.
On Sept. 5, the rule for food businesses expanded to cover all chain businesses with five or more locations in the city—regardless of what they sell—bringing the share of businesses covered to 25%.
About half of the trash in the city comes from businesses, with the other half coming from residences.
Adams noted that the city's businesses produce 20 million pounds of trash each day. "We're moving away from the idea that New York City is the place of mean streets, to a place of clean streets," he said.
And the city has its sights on residential trash as well: A pilot at 14 schools and on 10 residential blocks in Hamilton Heights is testing the containerization and mechanized collection of trash.
Adams said his administration's rat war is already impacting New Yorkers' quality of life: Complaints of rat sightings in the city were down 20% over the summer.