Small but very powerful and dangerous enemies drove the first change in New York’s garbage disposal since 1969: rats.
Today, Saturday, April 1, the regulations announced by the mayor’s office in mid-October come into effect to reduce the amount of time that garbage remains on the street.
Previously residential buildings could put out bagged trash starting at 4 pm for pickup the next morning. The rule change pushes the time back four hours, to 8:00 p.m., for those placing bags directly at the curb. If a 55-gallon or smaller container with a secure lid is available, it can be taken out at 6 pm Those rules apply to residential buildings of any size, and those are the only two options for garbage collection.
For companies and -restaurants- that place their garbage on the sidewalk, there are also two options: if a container with a secure lid is used, it can be removed one hour before the business closes. And if the trash is in bags placed directly on the curb it can be done after 8 pm All bins must be removed from the curb by the time the business reopens the next day.
Starting today, there will be a one-month grace period during which residents and businesses will receive written warnings of violations. But those who fall into this category will be the first to be inspected as of May 1, when non-compliance can lead to fines, he explained. NBC News. Details can be found in Spanish and other languages on the official website of the Department of Sanitation (DSNY).
Announcing the change in the fall, Adams called the current litter policy, which has been in place since 1969, outdated: “It doesn’t make sense for these trash bags to sit on the streets for such a long period of time.”
Data from the Health Department shows that sightings of rats in the city doubled in 2022. Critics allege the extension of restaurants to sidewalks and streets as one of the causes, a measure that sought to compensate for social distancing in the pandemic.
In November, Adams signed a package of legislation that would force landlords to buy rat-proof dumpsters if they accumulate two or more rodent complaints, as well as reduce the amount of time trash sits on the street.
Since taking office in January 2022, Adams has declared war on the proliferation of rats in the city, but ironically in December it was said that the mayor was facing a $300 fine for a rodent infestation on his Brooklyn property.