Tuesday, September 19, 2023 2:27PM
UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) — In New York City leaders have taken note of the quality of life concerns.
Mayor Eric Adams says he’s trying to walk the walk and on Tuesday held a press conference outside a popular restaurant to talk about trash and cleaning up city sidewalks.
Mayor Adams says Gray’s Papaya on the Upper West Side has been a model citizen.
They embraced the mayor’s plan to contain trash inside plastic trashcans with lids back in August.
DSNY Commissioner Jessica Tisch and the mayor were on hand to applaud the business’ efforts to help keep the city looking its best and reduce the rat population.
The Sanitation Department was so happy with the restaurant’s efforts that they declared September 7 “Gray’s Papaya Day.”
They also announced that starting in March of next year, all commercial trash must be placed in a secure, lidded container.
“We’ve declared that rats are Public Enemy Number One – but we’re not stopping there; we’re also going after the black trash bags that litter our streets, aiding and abetting rodents,” said Mayor Adams. “That’s why, starting next spring, we’re requiring every New York City business to put out their trash in containers. That’s 20 million pounds of black bags and rat buffets off our streets – every single day. Our streets will look cleaner and smell cleaner across all five boroughs, and New Yorkers won’t have to dodge trash mountains or scurrying rats as they’re walking.”
“The notion that the greatest city in the world could not move its trash into wheelie bins was always patently absurd. But that’s the type of thinking that allowed the rats to thrive and our streets to reek for over 50 years,” said DSNY Commissioner Tisch. “In less than one year since the effort began, the Adams administration will have moved half of all of New York City’s trash – nearly 20 million pounds a day – from black bags into bins. And we’re going hard after the rest. Stay tuned…”
Once the rule takes effect next year, it will get about half of all trash in the five boroughs off the street. The other half is residential garbage.
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