UK Edition
With more than three million rats and mounds of foul-smelling bin bags lining the streets, New York has become famous for its filth.
But on Monday, the mayor unveiled the much-anticipated solution to the issue that has been plaguing the city: the wheelie bin.
Eric Adams hailed the bins, which have been a hallmark of British refuse collection for decades, as part of the “trash revolution”.
Demonstrating the design at a press conference, Mr Adams proudly rolled a black wheelie bin down a driveway and deposited a black bag inside to the sound of Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind.
“Many people thought it was impossible that these babies here, the bins, were going to be part of our trash revolution.” Mr Adams told reporters.
“We are only catching up to what other municipalities across the globe, what they are currently doing.
“When I visit other countries, they are blown away that we still use plastic bags.
“We are leaders, we lead from the front and we’re going to catch up with everyone else and get these plastic bags off the street.”
Hailing Jessica Tisch, the New York City department of sanitation commissioner, as a “visionary”, Mr Adams said that the bins will be “a game changer for our city”.
“We all have one unified dislike and those are those pesky New York City rats,” he said.
“They are getting more and more bold. They no longer run from you, they just hang out and just do what they want and we want to make sure we change that in a real way.”
He added: “It is a real revolution, this is a rat-proof container and is going to do the job.”
Mr Adams described the bins as “durable, they are attractive and New York-affordable”.
The city is selling official NYC bins for less than $50 (£40).
From Nov 12, all New York City properties with up to nine residential units must use a bin with a secure lid.
“Today, we are tossing even more black bags into the dustbin of history and taking the next step forward in our ‘trash revolution’,” Mr Adams said.