In 2018 DSNY launched the BetterBin design contest to replace the city's 23,000+ litter baskets. The iconic wire mesh baskets, so familiar to our streetscapes, have remained largely unchanged since the 1930s. Designed by the team “Group Project”, the winning design incorporates a partial aluminum enclosure that secures a lightweight HDPE bin. The result is a design that is far more durable, ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing than our existing bins.

These litter baskets were designed to meet an extensive set of strict requirements and were developed using direct feedback from sanitation workers. The prototypes were put into service for a 3 month evaluation period in 2019 and were not only hugely successful but are still on the streets today despite being designed only for testing and evaluation purposes. The aesthetic improvements are obvious but it’s hard to overstate the ergonomic advancements for the Sanitation Workers.

In 2020 Covid stalled the project which should be moved forward immediately to show New Yorkers that the next administration is serious about improving waste management and our streetscapes.