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DSNY Amendment of Penalty for Improper Disposal of Regulated Household Waste



Rule status: Proposed

Agency: DSNY

Comment by date: September 18, 2026

Printable Version of Proposed Rule Text
DSNY-Amendment-of-Penalty-for-Improper-Disposal-of-Regulated-Household-Waste.pdf

DSNY has seen an uptick in regulated household waste not being disposed of properly. Regulated household waste means any item that may cause puncture or cuts that is used in the administration of medication and is disposed of with residential solid waste, including but not limited to intravenous tubing and syringes with needles attached. In 1991, pursuant to section 16-120.1 of the New York City Administrative Code, DSNY promulgated rules relating to the safe disposal of regulated household waste. The penalty permitted in the Administrative Code for a violation of such rules is not less than $50, nor more than $250. The current penalty of $100 has been in effect since 2002.

Over the past three calendar years, DSNY employees have been stuck by needles over 140 times. This number does not include those instances where needles are improperly disposed of and did not result in an injury. As this number continues to climb, and the reasons for the use of needles for medical purposes have increased over the years, DSNY proposes to increase the penalty amount for the improper disposal of regulated household waste from $100 to $250. The increased penalty is necessary to ensure the safety of our workers and to disincentivize the improper disposal of such waste.

Send comments by

  • Email: [email protected]
  • Mail: New York City Department of Sanitation, Bureau of Legal Affairs, 125 Worth Street Room/Floor: 710 ; New York, New York 10013

Public Hearings

Attendees who need reasonable accommodation for a disability such as a sign language translation should contact the agency by calling 1 (646) 885-4996 or emailing [email protected] by September 11, 2026

Date

September 18, 2026
10:00am - 11:00am EDT

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Disability Accommodation
  • Sign Language Interpretation

Comments are now closed.

Online comments: 1

  • Small Property Owners of New York

    Small Property Owners of New York (SPONY) agrees that the improper disposal of needles and other sharps is a serious safety hazard. Building owners, superintendents, porters, and other staff encounter the same danger as DSNY workers when handling residential refuse.

    Our concern is that increasing penalties against property owners does not address the source of the problem. Owners generally have no control over what tenants or passersby place in trash bags or building receptacles.

    If the expectation is that owners or building staff should find and remove improperly discarded needles before collection, that would require them to inspect or sort through refuse containing potentially exposed sharps. That does not eliminate the danger; it simply transfers the risk of needle-stick injuries from DSNY workers to superintendents, porters, and property owners.

    Penalties should be directed at the person who improperly disposes of regulated household waste, not automatically at the owner of the property where it is later found.

    Rather than focusing on fines, we suggest stronger public education, accessible safe-disposal options, and enforcement against identifiable violators. DSNY should educate New Yorkers about the proper disposal of sharps and clearly identify convenient drop-off locations, including participating pharmacies. The Department should also consider dedicated sharps drop-off bins throughout the city, similar to collection programs for compost and hazardous materials such as e-waste, chemicals, and batteries.

    We urge DSNY to revise its enforcement approach so that building owners and staff are not penalized for conduct they did not commit and cannot safely prevent. Our team would be happy to meet with the DSNY team to discuss education and enforcement improvements that can enable safe working conditions for property managers and sanitation staff alike.

    Please contact us at [email protected] should you wish to discuss.

    Comment attachment
    SPONY-DSNY-Amendment-of-Penalty-for-Improper-Disposal-of-Regulated-Household-Waste.pdf
    Comment added September 15, 2026 2:33am