This is probably one of the things that marks the new New Yorker most: the walls of trash cans that pile up in almost every neighborhood of Manhattan. And do not think that the inhabitants of the very rich (very) Upper East Side are better off, or those who occupy the apartments of “Billionaire’s row” (the alley of billionaires) in front of Central Park. No. Speaking of trash cans, we’re all in the same boat.
Come on mice…
Let’s evacuate right away if you want a related topic: the rats. A forthcoming law is expected to ban placing rubbish bins on the sidewalk before 8pm, under penalty of a fine. So, if all goes well and you get home before the fateful hour — after all, many New Yorkers are at dinner at 6 p.m. — you might have a chance of not seeing any animals hurtling down the sidewalk at high speed. But after 8pm, dammit! It could be a gold rush!
If you think that a few grams are enough for the food of the rats and that the city produces fourteen million tons of waste every year – even if you remove the huge sofa abandoned on the sidewalk and the rubbish bins here and there – the city has enough to feed many people .
But the subject is not there. No, I meant trash cans as trash.
… and trash cans
Apparently things have gotten even worse with the pandemic (at the same time, do you know of anything that’s gotten better with the pandemic? I mean, outside of Amazon’s revenue). This is the habit that New Yorkers have taken to have lunch out. All this packaging has to be thrown away somewhere. Luckily, most of the streets have metal bins, quite ridiculous in size, admittedly, compared to the excess of this city. Obviously, the notion of selective sorting has not reached them: the baskets accept everything without distinction. Except garbage bags, which quickly suffocate them. And by the way, did you know you can call 311 to complain about an overfilled and overflowing trash can?
Pickup, in fact, let’s talk about it. If you live in an apartment building, the trash can that was left where you were told is likely to disappear as if by magic — in fact, someone picked it up and tossed it on the curb. I say. I break the magic a little.
If you live in a house and/or the burden of taking out the trash falls on you, try not to be too strict. Take a dip in the bathtub. Go with the flow. Because there really isn’t a rule. You don’t always know when the trucks are passing. Sometimes the very nice opaque or transparent bag that you had prepared is not collected with the others (why?), but after (why?) or never (why?)
Days and times may change, but someone you know in the street. You don’t know who or how, but him, him you know. A first garbage can is deposited. The others follow. Do not try. Just go with the flow.
“Get Stuff Clean”: City Hall invests heavily
But that could all be about to change.
The mayor of the city, Eric Adams – who, by the way, hates rats, but that’s not the point – the mayor, therefore, has just launched a plan of attack financed to the tune of millions. The program is ambitious. It particularly affects some streets which, due to an unfortunate administrative division, are never cleaned. There is also talk of large containers placed on the streets – the first would have been placed in Times Square – there was even one inauguration – the hiring of two hundred people, cameras, particularly efficient machines and a 5-point rat control program that we said we would not talk about.
Of course, the issue of packaging reduction is another matter altogether.
This program, however ambitious, will not solve the garbage can issue. But it could allow us to return to a pre-pandemic situation.
In the meantime, don’t forget to take out the trash tonight. It is usually blue. Or the white one. Ah, I don’t know anymore!
PS: Of course, this substantive topic has been covered Friends
PS2: New York has been declared the dirtiest in the world after Rome, by the readers of Time out
