Pizza-loving rats may be out of luck.
New York City Parks Commissioner Sue Donohue announced the pizza bins were installed to accommodate the bulky boxes, which are difficult to pack into traditional trash cans and often end up as leftover food for rats.
The first of six new square trash cans was installed in Father Demo Square in Greenwich Village earlier this month, with the remaining bins reportedly being installed in various parks across the city on Friday — the latest salvo in New York City's war on rats.
“We all know you shouldn't try to force a square peg into a round hole, which is why we have pizza box bins in parks across the five boroughs,” Donohue said.
Mayor Eric Adams hopes the new brown bins, with their red and white “Pizza Boxes Only” sign, will keep the streets clean and scare away rats. The rodent-hating mayor has tried to address the problem by installing “rat chiefs” and “rat activists.”
Each bottle retails for approximately $950 eachGothamist reported.
The new boxes will be installed next to traditional trash and recycling bins.
The Central Park Conservancy installed similar recycling bins near the Great Lawn in May.
The green bins are part of a pilot program there, according to NBC News.
“On a warm, busy day, the conservancy can remove more than 100 boxes in this area of the park alone,” the conservancy says. Spokesperson Cat Brady told the outlet:.
The Central Park trash cans debuted just one day after the mayor's announcement. The 1st “National City Rat Summit” One is scheduled for September to discuss “best practices for rodent mitigation.”
