New York City is taking an aggressive approach to clean up the city, including hiring a “rat czar” to crack down on the growing rodent population. Now, the Department of Sanitation released a report proposing “trash containerization,” which would implement “rodent-proof” containers for waste.
The containerization of trash intends to curb the rat population by cutting off food sources — as residents would be required to put waste in sealed containers rather than trash bags on the street.
According to the report, the receptacles could be installed on 89% of the city’s residential streets. However, there are trade-offs: It would mean eliminating nearly 150,000 parking spots.
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“Like many good things, it will not come easily, but there is no doubt that it can be done,” Jessica Tisch, commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation, wrote in the report.
The report does not mention the overall cost of implementing the new containers, but it could cost hundreds of millions over the next decade, The New York Times noted, as the city would also need to invest in new trash trucks to collect the waste from bins.
Tisch told the outlet that it may be too early to accurately estimate costs, but that it’s definitely “not inexpensive.”
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