New York City Rolls Out ‘Better’ Trash Bins, Redesigned To Keep Rats Away
In a move aimed at improving the Big Apple’s streetscape, New York City has bid farewell to its aging green mesh wire litter baskets, ushering in a sleek and practical new bin design. Crafted by industrial design studio Group Project, the winning entry of the Department of Sanitation’s BetterBin competition in 2019.
Their primary objectives include enhancing street hygiene, ensuring a more comfortable experience for sanitation workers, reducing overflow issues, and deterring pesky rodent neighbors.
The Group Project designed a new disposal unit consisting of a solid concrete base, a flexible plastic liner, and a lid split into two. This was done in view of the difficulties that sanitation workers faced with the old version. The previous receptacles, which weighed 30 pounds when empty, often become three times heavier by garbage day.
They also come with improved handles, making lifting and emptying these trash cans safer and less strenuous.
More importantly, the new design tackles the issue of rodents infiltrating these bins. According to Fast Company, Group Project’s founder and design director Colin Kelly stated that rats in the city could squeeze their bodies through holes the size of a quarter. To combat this, the agency teamed up with a rodent biologist to develop strategically shaped diagonal perforations, discouraging rats from entering while allowing for liquid drainage.
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Moreover, they also incorporate a top hinge, preventing oversized items from being recklessly stuffed inside, a frequent cause of messy spills. With a 10% increase in size compared to their predecessors and a sturdy concrete base, tipping them over is now harder.
New York City has already introduced 300 bins, with thousands more set to be littered around the boroughs in the coming years.
[via Fast Company and DSNY, images via various sources]
