BAY RIDGE – They’re back: Following concerns regarding new trash bins placed along the Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District corner baskets have returned to the area.
Councilmember Kayla Santosuosso announced May 7 that the New York City Department of Sanitation and BID collaborated to bring back the baskets.
Trash baskets are back along Fifth Avenue in Bay Ridge. Photo: Councilmember Kayla Santosuosso
The BID, to comply with new DSNY rules, had removed the corner baskets they used to own and maintain along the avenue and replaced them with fewer overall dual container trash baskets.
“While the BID was previously allowed to empty their full corner baskets and pile bags next to them for pickup, DSNY instituted new rules prohibiting that practice and requiring the bags be containerized,” Santosuosso said.
The BID opted to install dual container baskets in the hopes of easily servicing them if they were attached to the storage containers.
“In doing so, they removed a lot of the baskets on the avenue and replaced [them] with these dual-purpose containers on fewer corners because it was just simply too financially and physically taxing on the BID to haul all the bags from corner baskets to the containers or to purchase these large dual-purpose containers for every corner,” Santosuosso continued. “In the days since the rollout, it quickly became clear that Fifth Avenue can’t sustain the fewer baskets.”
Elizabeth Lovejoy. Photo: Elizabeth Lovejoy
After Santosuosso received community feedback, she asked DSNY to replace all the BID’s former corner baskets with DSNY baskets. DSNY agreed. DSNY will assume responsibility for maintaining these corner baskets so that the BID doesn’t have to eat the cost.
Elizabeth Lovejoy, the BID’s executive director, was happy with the resolution.
“The BID is grateful to Councilmember Kayla Santosuosso and the DSNY for expediting the delivery of wastebaskets,” she told the Brooklyn Eagle. “While containerization requirements continue to be implemented throughout NYC, we are hopeful that the addition of DSNY-owned and maintained wastebaskets along Fifth Avenue will help reduce overflow and further improve overall street conditions.”
She also said it is important to note that both DSNY wastebaskets and BID containers are intended for pedestrian use only, and their proper use is key to maintaining a clean and welcoming commercial corridor.
DSNY mandated all BIDs in the city to implement containerization as of Aug. 1, 2025.
Last month, Lovejoy and Community Board 10 discussed the trash bins during the Environment Committee meeting.
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