New York City has long struggled with waste collection and keeping its street clean, but a hidden issue has lurked behind the bags of trash strewn all over the sidewalks: costs. The Center for Building partnered with the Center for Zero Waste Design to calculate, for the first time, the costs to building owners of New York City’s particularly laborious method of waste collection and handling. At $75 per dwelling unit per month, waste handling costs to building owners – the costs of simply moving trash, recycling, and compost from building courtyards, basements, and waste rooms to the sidewalk, not including city collection – add up to more than 1 percent of the median household’s income. Our report discusses the monetary and other costs of New York City’s system, and presents a containerized alternative that would improve housing affordability in the city and keep the streets cleaner. The report is also summarized in a piece for Vital City.