New York City has implemented a new policy requiring residents to place their trash in bins with lids, aiming to reduce litter and improve sanitation standards. This change marks a significant shift from the previous practice of disposing plastic bags filled with garbage directly onto the sidewalk, which led to rat infestations and reinforced the city’s reputation as filthy.
New York City’s Shift to Binned Waste: An Overview
New Yorkers are adapting to a new routine, placing their trash in bins with lids, marking a significant change from the previous practice of disposing plastic bags filled with garbage directly onto the sidewalk.
The Old Reality
For half a century, residents took out their trash by dumping plastic bags filled with waste straight onto the sidewalk. This approach led to smorgasbords for rats and reinforced the city’s reputation as filthy, especially during winters when trash mounds got buried in snow and remained frozen in place for days.
The New Reality
The change in policy aims to reduce litter and improve sanitation standards. Sanitation workers now collect trash from bins with lids, which are expected to be used by all residents. Written warnings will be issued initially, followed by fines ranging from $50 to $200 starting January 2nd.
Historical Context
New York City’s homes, businesses, and institutions generate about 44 million pounds (20 million kilograms) of waste daily, with the city’s sanitation department collecting around 24 million pounds (11 million kilograms). The use of plastic bags for trash disposal became widespread after a sanitation workers’ strike in 1968. The strike led to overflowing trash cans, mounds of garbage on sidewalks, and spilled litter into streets.
Quotes
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“I know this must sound absurd to anyone listening to this who lives pretty much in any other city in the world,” said Jessica Tisch, the city’s former sanitation commissioner. “But it is revolutionary by New York City’s standards because, for 50 years, we have placed all our trash directly on the curbs.”
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“Just the stink of it builds up, you know, week after week after week,” said John Midgley, who owns a brownstone in Brooklyn and has lived in London, Paris, and Amsterdam.
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“Some places, they’re not even using bags. They’re just putting their trash into the bins,” said Harry Nespoli, president of the union representing some 7,000 city sanitation workers.
Statistics
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The city puts about 44 million pounds (20 million kilograms) of waste out on the curb every day.
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About 24 million pounds (11 million kilograms) of that is collected by the city’s sanitation department.
