It's time for some NYC-picking!

[conuly]

Now, I've already told you about the alleys (no alleys in Manhattan) and right on red (none of that either), and now it's time for - garbage.

Since the 1990s it's been the law that residential garbage in NYC has to have the recyclables sorted out. And since this year we also have to separate out the compost, though weirdly they only pick that up once a week, I've complained about this. It's completely backwards.

Anyway, as I said, it's been the law since the 90s that you can't put your cans and bottles in with your regular trash. Do people always follow that law? Oh, heck no. But if you don't and the city catches you at it they'll give you a $300 ticket, and if you don't pay they put a lien on the house. So even if you don't care, your landlord might, and if they care and perhaps only have one tenant at that location you can bet they won't just eat the cost.

And if your protagonist is even minimally conscientious she'll at least glance around for a recycle bin before tossing her water bottle in with the regular trash.

(As a reference here, our terrible neighbors, who have had sanitation and once the fire department called on them multiple times due to the trash they pile up in their yard, still separate out the bottles and cans from the regular trash. Though in their case they may somewhat optimistically believe they'll get around to redeeming them one of these days, honestly, who knows how they think.)

This rant is courtesy of Elsbeth, which Jenn has been watching. Sure, Elsbeth is a snoop and the best way to dispose of several bushels worth of murderous apple pulp was probably to flush it, but all the same - it's weird that such a generally responsible character goes straightaway to throw out her water bottle in the general trash in somebody's house without at least checking that there's no recycle bin.

Comments

[elayna]

If it's weird to only pick up compost once a week, when does everything else get picked up?

Our garbage and our green waste get picked up weekly, and we put our food compost into our green waste. And we're suburban, so most people are putting grass clippings, leaves, etc. into the can, it's not just a small amount of food waste.

Our recyclables are every two weeks.

[conuly]

We have two pick-ups a week. It used to be all garbage 2x, recyclables once. And now it's regular garbage twice, recyclables and compost once.

Except that part of the stated intent of the raft of new regulations around trash pickups is to control the rat population. And lots of people live in apartments, so that food waste is sitting around inside the building, perhaps inside the unit depending on how the building is set up.

Clearly, the way they should've done it is compost twice a week, remaining trash and recyclables once a week.

[james]

I have lived in a variety of places for most of my life, and I remember when, as an adult, I moved someplace that did NOT have curbside recycling and I was just..so confused. How was I supposed to recycle my recyclables?? Where was the recycling bin?? It is just such a weird mindset to not have recycling bins at home of some kind, even though obviously as a child (70s, 80s) there was no such thing other than the leftover Depression mindset of 'don't throw it out if it can still be used.')

[gingicat]

It's hardly the only annoyance I have with the NYC where Elspeth lives. I mean, look at Kaya's apartment!

[conuly]

You can't fix TV's insistence on NYC apartments. The actors need to be able to walk around, I guess.

(Though I hold out hope for the alleys.)

[minoanmiss]

It's the little details.

[darkoshi]

Ooh, Elsbeth. I watched 2 episodes of it, liking the character and colors even though I'm not much into crime dramas. Might get back to watching more of it one day.

It disturbs me too, seeing people toss bottles and cans in with regular trash. Even without a big fine here. If I recall right, here if they see recyclables in with the regular trash they may just not pick it up, and tell you to separate it out. ...well I just looked it up. Maybe there's no rule against putting things in your trash, but there are rules against putting trash in the recycling bin. After 3 warnings, you can get a $1000 fine.

What about dirty cans/bottles that other people toss on the street/sidewalk - are you allowed to put them in the regular trash? I think here we're only supposed to put relatively clean items in the recycling bin, so if I pick up ones from the street that are dirty or have unknown contents rattling around inside, I put them in the regular trash.