The Empire Bins strike back.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday trotted out the next phase of the controversial “Empire Bin” program — part of the city’s effort to curb trash bags littering the sidewalks — that would eat up 6,500 parking spots.

The city is expanding the “containerization” program — a key initiative of Mamdani’s predecessor Eric Adams — to six districts, bringing garbage bins to 25,000 residences in larger buildings across the Big Apple.

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“In the wealthiest city in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, no New Yorker should have their sidewalks covered in garbage,” Mamdani said during a news conference in Brooklyn.

“By finishing the job on containerization, we will ensure New York City’s streets remain the envy of the world,” he added. “We have the plan, we’re investing the money and we’re delivering on the promise of clean, healthy streets for every neighborhood.”  

Neighborhoods included in the next phase are: 

It’ll require higher-density buildings to place their trash into stationary bins on the street, where side-loading trash trucks can easily scoop up the garbage. 

Businesses, single-family homes, and smaller buildings were already required to toss the trash into “wheelie bins.”

The expansion is expected to be up and running by the end of 2027. 

“The era of Empire Bins is now dawning,” Mamdani said.

Mayor Eric Adams started what he called the city’s “trash revolution” as part of a pillar initiative during his sole term in office.

Adams announced in 2023 that the city would be requiring trash cans throughout the five boroughs — leading to blowback from residents upset they’d have to shell out $50 for each container. 

The plan was also criticized for eliminating more than 150,000 parking spots total, with the next phase swallowing up 6,500.

Adams unveiled the Empire Bins last year, which residents in the pilot areas complained were eyesores that more resembled spaceships than garbage containers.

City officials have defended the program, pointing to the decrease in rat sightings as a result of the containerization project. 

Full containerization is supposed to be complete by 2031.  

But the next phase of the project is expected to add more than $50 million to the Big Apple’s budget, even as the Mamdani administration claims the city faces a $5.4 billion shortfall.

Mamdani shrugged off the added investment, pivoting when probed by reporters to the new pied-à-terre tax pushed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on multi-million dollar second homes that she hopes will pull in $500 million in revenue annually for the city. 

“We know that as we tackle that [budget gap], we also are doing so while ensuring we’re fulfilling our commitment to New Yorkers that we are never going to compromise essential services,” Mamdani said. “Trash is one of the things that New Yorkers wake up in the morning and expect city government to be able to respond to.”