Jersey City pulls 65 street litter baskets in a cost-cutting test

Jersey City has removed 65 public litter baskets from its streets over the past six weeks as part of a 60-day pilot meant to save money in New Jersey’s second-largest city.

The city started with 1,300 litter baskets, so the removals cover 5% of its bins, a city spokesperson said. Fewer baskets mean fewer pickups for public workers, which officials hope will make collection more efficient. They also expect the change to stop people from leaving household garbage in the city’s containers.

Why Jersey City is removing trash cans

Money is the driver. The city is trying to close a $255 million budget gap, and for many residents, local tax bills went up 15% in 2026. A spokesperson for Mayor James Solomon said the city is reviewing all of its trash and litter collection to run as efficiently as possible. Part of the pilot, the spokesperson said, is to find out whether taking baskets away actually cuts down on trash and litter.

Residents worry about more litter

Some residents expect the opposite result. Resident Raj Patel predicted a mess. “If you remove it, people gonna throw it in the street,” he said.

Ward C Councilman Thomas Zuppa said he has heard from upset constituents and has been asking them to give the program time. “Let’s see how the pilot goes,” he said. Zuppa called it a tough situation from the start. Residents were hit with a tax increase and are now seeing services shrink, he said, and the city needs to find savings that make things better for them.

Anyone who wants to weigh in can do so while the test runs: according to the mayor’s office, it welcomes input from residents.