New York City Restaurants Will Be Required to Dispose of Trash in Containers to Reduce Rats

New York City plans to require restaurants and bodegas to set out trash in containers instead of bags to fight against rats and trash proliferation.
The rule could apply to 40,000 food-related businesses, covering roughly 20% of businesses in the city.
The rule would apply to a wide range of businesses that produce most of the city’s food waste, including catering companies, food manufacturers, restaurants, food wholesalers, and retail food stores.
The new rule is part of the city’s broader plan to move trash into containers, which could cost the city hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade.
The Sanitation Department will hold a public hearing on June 22 about the proposal for food-related businesses to use containers, and the rule could take effect as early as July.