New York is changing the garbage collection system: your daily routine will have to change

Rats are rampant in New York like never before. Faced with complaints from residents in all five boroughs, Mayor Eric Adams announced a new waste collection plan for the city on October 17. Now you have to take out the trash later, says NBC New York.

The changes will come into effect on April 1, 2023. So you have time to figure it out.

Currently, New Yorkers can take trash out to the streets starting at 16:00 pm, although city services won't pick it up until the next morning. From April, you can take out the garbage on the sidewalk no earlier than 20:00, and if you have a dumpster with a secure lid, then the garbage can be taken out at 18:00.

Key details of the new plan

According to the new city rules, residential buildings will have three options:

• Throw out garbage after 18:00 in a container with a secure lid;
• Throw out the garbage after 20:00 if you put the bags on the sidewalk;
• If there are nine or more residential units in the building, the property owner may instead opt for a 4-7am window.

At a press conference announcing the new plan, Adams denounced the current policy. According to him, it is outdated because it has been operating since 1969.

“It makes no sense that these garbage bags are left on the streets for such a long period of time. They have become a smorgasbord for rodents getting into these bags, creating a real problem and a health threat in our city,” the mayor said. “Rat control is what we focus on. We continue to make this city livable. Rats have no place in this city. And we are going to use all the necessary methods to destroy them. So that they do not harm families and our quality of life.”

On the subject: Garbage and the homeless: New York was named the second most polluted city in the world

The number of rat sightings across the city has increased by 71% compared to 2020. From January to October 2022, over 21 messages were received.

Rat complaints initially skyrocketed in 2021

Many have blamed the spike in rat numbers on the outdoor areas of restaurants, which have skyrocketed during the pandemic. But even after the closure of such pavilions after the pandemic, the problem with parasites has not gone away. In fact, it only got worse.

Over the summer, New York City Council members unveiled a five-point rat control action plan. Among other things, they suggested installing garbage containers with lids, and not putting garbage on the sidewalks.

The Department of Sanitation has also put forward the idea to change the time when trash hits curbs. Waste should not be left outside for long periods of time so that rodents do not have time to smell it.

The proposed rules are subject to public comment. The comment period is open until 10 November. A public hearing is scheduled for that day at 9:30 am. Once public comments are considered, the Department of Sanitation will release the final rules.