By Scott Etkin

On Monday morning, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) received the unanimous approval of the New York City Public Design Commission to continue testing Empire Bins – the big containers that store trash from large residential buildings for collection – in Morningside Heights and the rest of District 9, including Hamilton Heights and parts of Harlem.

Since June, District 9 has been the site of a DSNY pilot program to test Empire Bins, an alternative to piling trash bags directly on the street for collection. The pilot, originally planned for one year, received support from the commission, which reviews projects in the city’s public spaces, to extend its timeline, with the condition that DSNY returns to provide updates, especially as the seasons change.

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