'The '90s called': New York mocked for celebrating decades-old bin collection technology

New York has welcomed the "future" of rubbish collection — a garbage truck that many have pointed out has existed elsewhere for decades.

Mayor Eric Adams said the new truck represented "the future of New York City garbage collection". Source: Supplied / New York City Department of Sanitation

Key Points

• New York City has unveiled new waste collection trucks, which automatically lift bins and load rubbish.
• Mayor Eric Adams described the prototype as the "future of garbage collection".
• Social media users have mocked the announcement, pointing out that other cities have had the technology for decades.

New Yorkers have watched in wonder as the city unveiled a prototype of a new automatic garbage truck, but not everybody is impressed.

Videos on social media show the side-loading truck lifting large bins from the street in a demonstration of the "new technology".

Rubbish collection in New York City has previously been manual, with sanitation workers throwing bags into the backs of trucks.

While some celebrated the demonstration, others were quick to point out that many other cities and countries, including Australia, have had this type of collection truck for decades.

"This is ridiculous. This technology has been in use for decades in the rest of the world," Ayşe Baltacıoğlu-Brammer wrote on X.

"The 1990s called and wants it[s] technology back," David Ellis quipped.

"New York City continuing to discover and stare in wide-eyed amazement at garbage collection methods developed 30-50 years [ago] is wild," Tim Lyons wrote.

"I work in local gov and communications around waste disposal and recycling and I adore new york city but Australia is space-ages ahead of NYC in terms of recycling / food composting / landfill education. Like I felt deep existential dread seeing how bins work there," Jesse Graham pointed out.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams attended the demonstration, riding inside the truck as the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys anthem Empire State of Mind played.

He said the new truck represented the "future of garbage collection".

"The new garbage truck we’re unveiling today — four years ahead of schedule — represents the future of New York City garbage collection," he said.

"It means we’ll be able to containerise trash from our large residential buildings, something people didn’t believe would be possible in our dense city."

The new trucks are part of an initiative to 'containerise' New York, end the use of black rubbish bags, and combat the city's ongoing rodent issues.