Garbage set-out times in New York City were shifted from 4 PM to 8 PM to reduce street exposure and pedestrian interference during rush hours. Food-related and chain businesses are now required to place garbage in bins with tightly fitting lids to limit rat access. New Yorkers compost roughly 5 million pounds of food and yard waste each week, diverting organic material from landfills to beneficial uses. The Department of Sanitation created a Highway Unit in April 2023 to centralize shoulder and median cleanup; that unit has removed more than 15 million tons of litter, improving highway cleanliness and safety. A containerization milestone was reached ahead of the June 2026 deadline.
How we deal with our garbage says a lot about who we are as a society. New York City must look as good as the people who live here. I have said it many times: We cannot allow our streets and sidewalks to be cluttered with unsightly black garbage bags which are a tripping hazard for pedestrians and provide a constant all-you-can-eat buffet for rats. So, for the past four years, our administration has been sweeping in a new era of public cleanliness.
Not only have we shifted garbage set out times from 4 PM to 8 PM which means that trash is on the street for less time and doesn't interfere with pedestrians during rush hours but we have also required food-related businesses, as well as chain businesses of any type, to put their garbage into bins with tightly fitting lids. More than that: New Yorkers are composting roughly 5 million pounds of food and yard waste each week.
New York City has more than 1,100 miles of highway, and for decades the responsibility of cleaning highway shoulders and medians was divided between different entities and wasn't carried out regularly that's why we created the Department of Sanitation's Highway Unit. Now, highway cleanliness is the sole responsibility of the Highway Unit. And since the unit's formation in April 2023, it has removed more than 15 million tons of litter everything from car bumpers to water bottles to fast food packaging and more.
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