Brooklyn, New York. – After living in New York City for over ten years, I’ve seen the city go through many changes. One of the most noticeable—and encouraging—has been how dramatically garbage management in NYC has improved in recent years.
Anyone who lived in New York during the years when trash bags lined every sidewalk knows how challenging it could be. Walking through the city often meant dodging piles of garbage and, unfortunately, sharing the streets with an ever-growing rat population. These issues were part of daily life, especially near brownstones where trash was set out directly on the curb.
Today, however, the difference is striking. I no longer find myself stepping around trash bags or navigating crowded, cluttered sidewalks as often as before. Even more surprising is the noticeable decrease in rats. Seeing fewer of them—sometimes none at all in areas where they were once common—would have felt impossible just a few years ago.
From what I experience day to day, it’s clear that the initiatives the city has implemented to address waste management are genuinely working, see here. Whether it’s improved collection schedules, new containerization policies, stricter enforcement, or increased community awareness, the impact is visible and meaningful.
New York still has its challenges—what big city doesn’t?—but it’s clear that the long-standing garbage issue is finally being addressed in a serious way. As someone who continues to live here, I feel encouraged and genuinely hopeful about the city’s ongoing progress in garbage management. To me, this reflects a true societal triumph—one that brings pride, joy, and optimism to everyone who calls this city home.