DSNY—
Waste and Recycling Bins

Group Project’s New York City waste and recycling bins were designed in response to a request for proposals from the Department of Sanitation’s BetterBin︎︎︎ competition. In the fall of 2019, it was revealed that our design was chosen to be NYC’s receptacle of the future.

Reimagined from the ground up, our bin design improves the everyday quality of life of New Yorkers and the Sanitation Workers who service them and contributes to a better, cleaner and more beautiful New York City.
Role—
Group Project team lead
“The winning design by the Group Project team demonstrates that design can be a powerful tool to improve working conditions for Sanitation Workers and better engage New Yorkers as our partners to keep the city healthy, safe and clean. This is a truly innovative approach, designed for the unique needs of our workforce.”

- Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia
A modular, three-part construction.
Consisting of a metal stand, lid and recyclable plastic basket. The bin’s modularity allows for a slew of benefits including a reduction in weight, long-term durability, overflow prevention and a reduced unit cost over the lifetime of the bin.
Designed in collaboration with Sanitation Workers
Servicing upwards of 350 bins per shift, Sanitation Workers were the most important user to consider. The weight reduction inherent in this new design lightens their load by about 7,500 lbs per shift. The plastic material is also more compatible with the rolling and bashing action the workers use to remove the contents on the back of the truck. Additional handles at vital touch points on the basket improve ergonomics and flexibility in use.