TagYourCan is a project of Primo Cans, the Brooklyn shop that prints address labels for NYC bins. Not a government site.
TagYourCan Bin compliance for NYC buildings

The practical guide

Tag every bin in the building in one pass

Fifteen minutes with a marker per bin turns into a season of re-writing faded addresses. A printed tag set, ordered once, ends it. Here is how to do the whole building in a single round.

Checked against NYC & DSNY sources · Last checked November 5, 2026

Step by step

  1. Count the bins by stream. Trash, recycling, compost. Write down how many of each the building sets out on a normal pickup night. That count is your order.
  2. Decide the extra line once. The label prints the address big; an optional extra line carries the rest. The workhorse is the stream: "245 E 7 ST" over "TRASH" or "RECYCLING". Buildings with several identical bins per stream number them instead: "BIN 2 OF 3". Any stray is then obviously yours, and obviously which one.
  3. Use the space the city gave you. Every official NYC Bin ships with a space for the address, included, in the city's words, "for easy identification." Put the tag there first. On corner buildings, a second tag on the side facing the cross street pays for itself the first windy night.
  4. Tag the storage area too. Buildings with 4 or more units must keep waste storage areas clearly identified and labeled. Tag each bin and post signage that meets DSNY's labeling standards - DSNY publishes the standards and free decals.
  5. Keep two spares. Bins get stolen and replaced - DSNY does not replace stolen official bins, and the new one arrives blank. Two spare tags in the super's drawer mean the replacement is tagged the day it lands.

Why printed, not marker

Out on the curb, a bin soaks through every storm, bakes all summer, and takes a winter's worth of road salt - then gets grabbed, tipped and dragged every pickup night. Marker ink fades and power-washing takes the rest. Primo Cans labels are printed vinyl, designed to last 5+ years outdoors - write it once, read it for years.

Ordering for a building

Order the address labels with your extra line filled in - one run covers the property. Need a format beyond the address and extra line? Contact the shop before ordering. Get labels.

Sources: NYC 311 - the official bin's address space, "for easy identification," and stolen-bin policy (portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-01303) · DSNY, Building Waste Management Guidelines - 4+ unit identification duties (nyc.gov/site/dsny/resources/building-management/building-waste-management-guidelines.page) · DSNY, Collection Laws for Residents - recycling bins clearly labeled (nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/residents/collection-laws-residents.page)