Photos: Salim, Stacie Joy and Garth Johnston
Over the past week, the Sanitation Department has been placing the orange, solar-powered compost drop-off bins (aka Smart Bins) on sidewalks around the East Village and Lower East Side.
This is part of the city's ongoing effort to expand organic waste collection. Residents can access the curbside bins 24/7 through one of two smartphone apps. (The apps include a map with all the bin locations.)
So why the hassle of a QR code? Curbed explains:
This extra step is an effort to prevent contamination — or when non-compostable materials wind up with organics in the containers. (The issue of mixed materials became such a problem for the street recycling program that DSNY removed many of those bins entirely.) When it comes to the Smart Bin, the agency believes that the app offers just the right amount of friction."We want the bins to be simple enough so that people passing it on the street look at it and immediately know what it is," says sanitation commissioner Jessica Tisch. The city also, crucially, wants this piece of its composting program to succeed, and that means keeping busted umbrellas and the errant tall boy out of the bins.
The bins are meant to complement the existing drop-off composting sites, such as at the Tompkins Square Park Greenmarket, the Down to Earth Garden on 12th Street, and La Plaza Cultural on Avenue C and Ninth Street. (There's a citywide map here.)
Smart Bins have been spotted on Avenue B at 12th Street, First Avenue at Fourth Street, and Second Street at Second Avenue. (There are more! But you get the idea.)
The bins will likely look familiar — they are made by the same company that designed those Big Belly Solar trash cans.
The Smart Bins first debuted in 2021 in Lower Manhattan and Astoria. This City Limits piece has more background.
Composting will reportedly be mandatory by October 2024, thanks to the recent passage of the Zero Waste Act.
Thank you to everyone who sent in photos of the bins!
25 comments:
Glad to see them around! The app is a pretty great idea - every building i've ever lived in tends to see its recycling bins filled with all sorts of stuff that doesn't belong, let alone the street garbage cans that are subject to all sorts of nastiness. Hopefully people make good use of these
Love this!
Outstanding!
Happy to see composting, but I have concerns.
Are we being tracked if we use them? Do we have to create an account? Will we be getting a "visit" if we used a bin which was later contaminated?
The previous wave of $5K Big Belly cans had an internet service contract somewhere around $100 per month per can. How much do these cost?
It's been so maddening how difficult the city has made it to compost. Really glad to see these popping up en masse.
@1:50 PM
A visit from "the man" is unlikely as the cops have many better things to do, some of which they actually do. Tracking or fines I really doubt as I think the app is just to create "friction" so they aren't abused by random passers by flinging their trash in just because - which is what happens to every unlocked building garbage can on the street. Downloading the app means you've made the effort and understand and are pro composting.
Does anyone know what the composting requirements are for restaurants?
Zero waste is a great idea but will be hard. A citywide effort which might actually be good for the body politic. Community spirit and all that.
You don't have to create an account to use - the app is super basic, but has a good FAQ section and you can report if a bin is not working.
I used one for the first time today - I like the step to open so that you don't have to get your hands grubby using the handle.
So happy this is here!!!
to Anon 1:50 pm: Open the app link above & you'll find info on data sharing.
Just waiting to see how many people upon finding they can't open the can to dump their trash, just drop it on the street right next to instead.
New York New York
This is excellent, the bins make it way more convenient than trudging to a compost drop off site. I'm happy to see these pop up in our neighborhood!
This is pretty great, though the apps need some work. Current rating 1.5 due to failing to do its 1 job: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bigbellysolar.nycsmartcompost
I composted on my way to the library, very easy!
Newbie here - do you dump your scraps directly in the bin or use a compostable bag?
This is way too advanced. Just look at how much dog poop and litter we have here.
Ok with composting but i often see unemptied trash cans. So?
Clearly, over-engineered. Message to folks at sanitation: This is NYC--it doesn’t matter how lofty your goals are, in NYC we need simple, durable solutions. I predict these will go the way of the solar trash cans, and at similar outrageous cost. The people designing and selling these things are laughing at you.
As much as i want this to work, I am a realist and I know people will be dumping regular garbage in here by accident or just for kicks. It certainly won't help if the adjacent trash bin is full which it usually is
FWIW it was super easy to use and not very full. I hope these are not abused and sustainable. Unlike the TSP pick up site, this one takes meat/dairy and any bag. Not sure how it will get all sorted but fingers crossed it isn't just going to a landfill.
Used one yesterday for the first time and think these are a great idea. Needing to use the app to open them should be enough of a deterrent to keep trash out. We usually take our compost to the Sunday Greenmarket but sometimes get overloaded, particularly in the summer. I like having an option closer than Union Square or the Monday drop-off by the F train. The door is rather small so bags definitely help to contain mess. According to the app, they accept plastic, compostable, and paper bags unlike Greenmarket bins.
They prefer bags but you can do whatever.
No smartphone, hence won;t be using these.
Paper bags!
These are different from where we're supposed to put our syringes, right?
Just found the smart bin (next to 2 brown bins) on 2 Ave near 2 St. Came here to get more info.Commenters have answered my question about bags, but I have a concern about using the app because I don't have a smart phone! I guess I could lug my laptop along, but I don't even know if I can use a QR code on the laptop. But as long as the smart bin is flanked by the unlocked brown bins, I'll be able to drop my compost in them. Whee!
...or I could lurk by the bin till someone else came along to unlock it.
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