These companies are in charge of collecting a little over half of the city’s waste, including garbage and recycling, that comes from privately owned businesses. When it comes to commercial waste, however, private and licensed carting companies are used to haul off trash and are known for posing a great deal of risk to those who work for them, as well as pedestrians. The city has been criticized for polluting areas where the garbage goes, many of which tend to be located near impoverished neighborhoods such as Newark’s Ironbound district. ![]() In fact, since the closing of the city’s Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island in 2001, nearly all of the city’s trash is sent outside of the city to be disposed of in landfills and incinerators. Once garbage is picked up, it’s sent to various landfills and incinerators, many of which are located in other states, such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. ![]() Electronics, such as old computers or television sets, can also be dropped off or donated at various sites. When it comes to hazardous products, appointments can be made to pick up larger items such as refrigerators, while other items may be collected at special collection events or at various drop off points. Organic waste is collected either by curbside pick up, though that program was put on hold due to major financing cutbacks made during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, or at various drop-off locations around the city – we’ll dive deeper into this subject later on in this issue. Aside from managing waste, come winter time the department also takes on the responsibility of managing snow, turning garbage trucks into snow plows and spreading rock salt throughout the city. The department also sweeps city streets and collects garbage from litter bins located on sidewalks throughout the city. The Sanitation Department collects various types of waste that include trash that can’t be recycled, recyclables (paper, metal and plastic), organic waste (food scraps and yard waste), hazardous products (refrigerators, air conditioners, batteries, medical waste) and electronics. In the city, residential trash and recycling are collected by the Sanitation Department for residential buildings, while private commercial collection companies are used to collect trash from commercial establishments such as stores and restaurants. ![]() Yes, it’s that time of year when nearly every New Yorker becomes painfully aware of the abundance of garbage present in the city, which brings us to today’s topic: waste management. Ah, the sweet stench of a New York City summer!
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