For over half a century, New York City has been piling plastic bags of trash on the sidewalk, creating an unsanitary and unsightly mess. Thanks to an ongoing pilot program in Upper Manhattan, that practice is finally coming to an end. 

The trash containerization pilot rolled out this fall in Council District 7 points the way to a modern waste collection system in New York City that enhances the public realm, making our streets and sidewalks cleaner, more usable, and more equitable.

Livable streets work for all New Yorkers, and, by replacing a few curbside parking spaces with trash containers, everyone in the community benefits from that scarce and valuable public space. 

Your input makes a difference! If you live in Council Member Abreu’s district, it’s important to let him and the Department of Sanitation know you support this pilot. If you live in a different district, tell your council member you want to see trash containerization come to your neighborhood.

Cities around the world figured out trash containerization long ago, and it’s time for New York to get on board.