Rahul Somvanshi
The Department of Sanitation in New York City is imposing new rules for trash pick-up starting on April 1. Businesses and residential buildings can now keep out their trash after 8 p.m. on collection days, instead of the older 4 p.m. rule.
If garbage is in a container with a secured lid, residents can keep it curbside after 6 p.m., and businesses an hour before closing. The changes are being pushed in an effort to tackle the rodent problem in the city.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced the new garbage plan in mid-October 2022, and it takes effect on April 1, 2023. There will be a one-month grace period for warnings about violations, and fines will follow for noncompliance.
Adams has described the current trash policy, unchanged since 1969, as outmoded and ineffective. Health department data shows that rat sightings in the city doubled in 2022. The new rules apply to all residential buildings and businesses in the city.
