The fine print, in plain English
Short version: the city does not make most homes label their trash bin - but two kinds of bins must be labeled to be collected, and bigger buildings have their own labeling duties. Here's the line between rule and rumor.
Checked against NYC & DSNY sources · Last checked November 5, 2026
Buildings with 1 to 9 residential units must set out trash in the official NYC Bin - that's been the rule since June 1, 2026, with a $50 fine in effect since September 8, 2026. The city does not require those homes to write an address on the bin. It requires the bin itself.
No official bin is required for recycling or compost - but whatever bin you use must be labeled for what's in it. Metal, glass, plastic and paper go in any labeled bin with a lid, 55 gallons or less (or in clear bags). Compost goes in any sealed, clearly labeled bin of 55 gallons or less. An unlabeled recycling bin risks being skipped at the curb.
Buildings with 4 or more units have to keep their bins and waste storage areas clearly labeled and signed, and can be fined when they aren't. That's the building's responsibility, not the tenants'.
There is no city-issued label and nothing to buy from the city. Every official NYC Bin comes with a space for your address, and how you mark it is up to you - a marker works, a printed label works better.
The bin is yours - you bought it. The city includes the address space so owners can mark their bins for easy identification. Labeling yours is using the bin as intended.
For 1 to 9 unit homes, the fines are about the bin and the setout - wrong container, loose trash, trash out too early - not about a missing address. Labeling is still the cheapest insurance against mix-ups and walk-offs, which is why this site exists. But it isn't a ticket item.
A block of identical bins is a nightly shell game. An address ends it.
If a bin is stolen, DSNY does not replace it - the remedy is a police report and a new bin at your expense. A bin with a big address on it is harder to take quietly.
Pair the label with a photo of your bin's serial number and you can prove which bin is yours. NumberCan covers that.
We track the rules, not the rumors. The primary sources behind this page: NYC 311 on the official NYC Bin - requirement, $50 fine from September 8, 2026, stolen bins · DSNY NYC Bin FAQ · DSNY Collection Laws for Residents · DSNY Recycling rules · DSNY Curbside Composting · DSNY Building Waste Management Guidelines (4+ units). For deadlines, bin prices and the full timeline in plain English, our sibling site cans.nyc tracks them.
LabelYourCan is a Primo Cans project. We sell bin labels, and the rules above would be worth knowing even if we didn't. Last checked November 5, 2026.