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New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced the expansion of the city’s trash containerization program to Brooklyn Community District 2, following what officials called a “major success” in Manhattan’s Community Board 9.

The program, part of what the administration brands as the “Trash Revolution,” aims to eliminate black garbage bags from sidewalks by introducing rodent-proof Empire bins, serviced by newly developed automated sanitation trucks.

“New Yorkers are seeing cleaner streets, fewer rats, and a better quality of life,” Mayor Adams said during the announcement in Fort Greene. “The number of rat sightings and 311 calls has dropped for nine straight months. We started in Harlem, and now Brooklyn is next.”

The Brooklyn rollout will begin this fall with bins installed at schools in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. By 2026, large residential buildings across Downtown Brooklyn, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, Vinegar Hill, Clinton Hill, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard will also adopt the new system.

Acting Sanitation Commissioner Javier Lojan hailed the initiative as proof that New York can overcome decades of skepticism. “For years, people said containerization couldn’t work here,” Lojan said. “But with 70 percent of trash already in containers citywide, we’re showing the world that New York can be as clean as Amsterdam or Buenos Aires.”

The program requires buildings with more than 30 units to adopt Empire bins, while smaller buildings with 10 to 30 units can choose between Empire bins and smaller wheelie bins. Property managers will be issued key cards to access the locked containers.

Officials credited the program’s success to community engagement and coordinated enforcement. Mayor Adams also praised the work of the city’s “rat czar,” noting that the administration is committed to making the role permanent.

Residents in Fort Greene and surrounding neighborhoods can expect outreach teams in the coming weeks to guide property owners through the transition.

“This is about clean, safe, and convenient living,” said building superintendent Humberto Aranda, who described the Empire bins as “a major improvement.”

City Hall says the full containerization of Community District 2 is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.