There was a NYT article recently asking this very same question[1] with some background information about the pecularities specific to NYC which make the problem more complex. Obviously, this could be fixed, but would likely meet with fierce resistance from many constituents.

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/02/upshot/nyc-tr...

> but there’s also a growing number of bins chained to bike racks and sewer grates to prevent people from stealing them.

This is fucking wild. Who in their right mind steals trash bins? What would one even want to do with trash bins?

As someone who lives in Brooklyn and moved into a place where I was responsible for trash a couple weeks ago, it took ~1 week for someone to swipe my rolling trash bin, graffiti it, burn a couple holes and leave it a few blocks away. No idea why, but it definitely made putting bags on the street more appealing

my recycling bin got stolen multiple times in Portland, but mostly because they are handy totes.

locally, garbage companies (not sure if just some, or all) scan the barrels and verify they are both at the right address and paid before picking them up.

Good thing that NYC doesn't have a large driving population that might as well threaten to start riots if they lose free parking spots

And most of those cities have alleys to store the trash bins.

It's a problem, but it's not such a big problem that anyone wants to actually solve it.