The Rats of New York: Managing the City’s Rodent Population via Metal Waste Containers

 

 

New York City finds itself besieged by a combined population of 3 million rats and feral cats. However, hope emerges as the city discovers that employing trash containers can be a game-changer in the fight against rats and ensuring cleaner streets.

 New York, the city that never sleeps, shines brightly from a distance, but as you stroll its bustling streets, you will  encounter a different reality. Imagine navigating your way through the city's sidewalks, where smelly rubbish piles create what almost look like trash-fjords, with towering buildings on one side and stacks of black bin-bags on the other. It is a unique and somewhat challenging urban landscape. To avoid stepping into the murky garbage juice that occasionally escapes from these bags, seasoned New Yorkers have perfected the art of lifting their feet with practiced grace. But even the toughest city dwellers can't help but jump when they come across the audacious rats that fearlessly feast on this discarded buffet. For generations, New York embraced this reality, almost considering it a quirky part of city life. However, a major transformation is now underway as the city embarks on an ambitious "containerization program" designed to change this unsightly scene. The once-ubiquitous black bin-bag piles are gradually being replaced by a new addition to the cityscape: secure bins.

This initiative represents a fresh start for New York's sanitation system, offering hope for cleaner streets and a more pleasant urban experience. On October 11th, Mayor Eric Adams of New York City, alongside Jessica Tisch, the city's sanitation commissioner, unveiled an ambitious plan set to transform the way the city deals with its waste. Starting in the spring of 2024, residential buildings with nine or fewer units will be required to place all of their trash in secure containers. This sweeping initiative will encompass a staggering 765,000 buildings, representing a remarkable 95% of the city's residential properties. It comes as a follow-up to similar measures recently implemented for commercial waste, which amounts to approximately 20 million pounds (9 million kg) each day. Moreover, container rules for the city's 40,000 food-related businesses, including restaurants, grocers, and bodegas, were already set in motion over the summer. In total, this comprehensive effort is projected to channel 70% of the city's waste into these secure containers.

The concept of containerization may be a new chapter in New York City's waste management, but it is a long-established norm for cities like Barcelona, Milan, and Paris. In other parts of the world, particularly in South Korea and the Netherlands, submerged container systems are employed, an option that is largely unattainable in New York due to the labyrinthine network of infrastructure below its pavements, consisting of sewage pipes, gas lines, power cables, fiber optics, and the sprawling subway system. As Commissioner Tisch candidly states, New York is essentially playing catch-up with the rest of the globe when it comes to modernizing its waste management practices. The city won't be pioneering the concept of containerizing trash; instead, it finds itself among the last major urban centers to embrace this transformation. Nonetheless, this endeavor represents a significant leap forward in ensuring cleaner and more sustainable urban living for millions of New Yorkers while aligning the city with global standards of waste management.

Trash Talk: Container Comedy

The adoption of containerization appears to be both a groundbreaking shift and a return to historical practices. Metal containers, reminiscent of the dwelling of Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street, have been utilized since the 1930s to combat rat infestations and maintain cleanliness on the city's streets. However, their use dwindled after a labor strike in 1968 led to a nine-day period of uncollected trash, resulting in a putrid mess that prompted the city to distribute plastic bags for handling the overflow. These bags soon became an integral part of the city's waste management system.

Interestingly, the plastic bags inadvertently contributed to the proliferation of the city's rat population. Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain who vowed to tackle both crime and the rat issue, unequivocally declared rats as Public Enemy No. 1. This wasn't just rhetoric; the Sanitation Department drew inspiration from the Police Department's transformation three decades ago when policing shifted from a reactive to a proactive approach, relying on crime statistics to identify problem areas—a program known as CompStat, involving weekly crime-control strategy meetings among NYPD commanders.

Taking a page from this playbook, Ms. Jessica Tisch, with 12 years of experience in the Police Department, launched TrashDash in May, inspired by CompStat. This innovative approach involves sanitation leaders convening weekly to develop strategies based on trends observed in waste-related data from 311 calls, a municipal customer service platform. For instance, if there is a surge in reports of missed collections, they investigate common factors in these complaints. Simultaneously, the department has ramped up enforcement of existing rules, along with efforts to clean highways, enforce street vendor regulations, and implement citywide compost collection.

Ms. Tisch's administration firmly rejects the status quo and has restructured operations to prioritize early trash collection in high-density areas. The results indicate that the rats may be retreating, although vigilance is crucial. This past summer witnessed a 20% reduction citywide in rat-related complaints to 311, with "rat-mitigation zones" experiencing a remarkable 45% decrease. To test the waters, a pilot containerization program was recently launched in Hamilton Heights, a neighborhood in Manhattan's West Harlem known for a high volume of rat complaints. Rodent-resistant containers were placed on the streets for residents, and garbage collection was augmented to six days a week in August. Even local schools have adopted the use of containers.

Although the majority of residents in the city back these initiatives, securing complete agreement within the urban landscape of New York remains a formidable task. A spokesperson for the New York Hospitality Alliance, which advocates on behalf of restaurants and bars, underscores the challenge of dealing with the limited indoor space available for waste bins. Meanwhile, the placement of containers outdoors raises concerns as it encroaches upon valuable sidewalk dining areas. Furthermore, an expert from the Centre for Zero Waste Design expresses worries that the public's sentiment toward containerization could take a negative turn if the pilot program encounters difficulties in execution or if it becomes excessively costly. This serves as a reminder that even the most ingenious solutions must successfully navigate the distinctive intricacies of life in New York City.

Sanitation is one of the few aspects firmly under municipal control, setting it apart from the MTA, which is responsible for running the city's subway system. According to Justin Wood of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, this distinction affords the city a substantial degree of authority over its sanitation operations. This unique jurisdiction highlights the significance of efficient sanitation services in maintaining the city's well-being and overall functioning. Ms. Tisch, the head of the sanitation agency, fully comprehends the weight of her agency's responsibilities. She acknowledges that even a single day of neglect in their duties can have widespread repercussions, becoming immediately apparent to all residents. Should this lapse in service extend to two or three days, it has the potential to escalate into a full-blown public-health crisis. With determination and successful execution of her objectives, Ms. Tisch aims to ensure that New Yorkers will no longer endure the unpleasant stench of trash baking in the sweltering summer heat, and she intends to put an end to the all-night, all-you-can-eat rat buffet that has plagued the city.

 

 

Notes

 

Calvan, B. C. (2023, February 15). NYC Mayor Eric Adams Gets Split Decision in Battle Against Rats. Retrieved from NBC New York: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-gets-split-decision-in-battle-against-rats/4104971/

Childs, J. E., McLafferty, S. L., Sadek, R., Miller, G. L., Khan, A. S., DuPree, E. R., . . . Glass , G. E. (1998). Epidemiology of Rodent Bites and Prediction of Rat Infestation in New York City. American Journal of Epidemiology, 148(1), 78–87.

Chronopoulos, T. (2014). The Lindsay Administration and the Sanitation Crisis of New York City, 1966–1973. Journal of Urban History, 40(6), 1138-1154.

New York City Government. (2023, October 11). Mayor Adams, DSNY Commissioner Tisch Open New Front In War On Rats, Unveil Strategy To Containerize Trash At Nearly All Residential Buildings In NYC. Retrieved from https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/761-23/mayor-adams-dsny-commissioner-tisch-open-new-front-war-rats-strategy-containerize#/0

The Economist. (2023, October 12). Trash Talk: New York City Discovers a Revolutionary Technology - The Bin. Retrieved from https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/10/12/new-york-city-discovers-a-revolutionary-technology-the-bin