Health, Waste, and Inequality: How Litter Burden Hits NYC’s Vulnerable
By Angus Jackson
Waste in New York City is not just a bother, but it is also linked to health inequality in already structurally disadvantaged communities. Where there is trash, so too is there respiratory illness, rodent contact, and psychological distress. Mapping the intersection of waste burden and inequality sheds light on the fact that trash disposal is of public health necessity, rather than one of sanitation.
In Harlem and Manhattan, a comparative cross-study tracked trash conditions in which lower-income blocks had obviously more trash in the streets, fewer trash cans, and closer proximity to disposal facilities, which was matched with increased asthma and respiratory disease rates in the area. Standardizing waste infrastructure and funding street sweeping in the areas was suggested by the authors as how to close health disparities. Land pollution is an uneven burden.
Litter on the curb and sidewalk dissuades public usage and diminishes health among communities. NYC Department of Health and Sanitation's "Why Trash is a Public Health Issue" commentary observes that litter dissuades kids from playing outside, makes folks anxious when they see rats, and puts emotional weight on residents who have to pass trash daily. It is not an inconvenience—it inflicts the daily life of one's community.
Rodent infestations flourish where litter is plentiful, and rodents carry disease, which disproportionately impacts asthma, allergies, and even lower respiratory disease in susceptible populations. Where garbage collection is sporadic and trash accumulates, residents are most likely to see rats. The evidence between litter burden and rodent infestation is strong in environmental health literature.
The other aspect is environmental justice. Sprague et al. (2022) established that more affluent census tracts had more litter bins. That means poor neighborhoods get a double blow—less disposal capacity and more exposure to litter. Geographic inequality in bin distribution expands health inequality.
The city is fighting back with budget realignments. In 2025, Mayor Adams allocated more than $32 million in permanent funding to litter basket pick-ups and included "Second Shift" cleansing personnel to cruise parks and public places evenings and weekends. The goal is to more consistently clean up in all neighborhoods, not just costly ones.
From a materials standpoint, the 2023 NYC Waste Characterization Study looked at what is being placed into dumpsters and onto city streets—plastics, paper, food waste. They are wet organic trash that breaks down and releases volatile chemicals, further irritating respiratory systems on busy city streets.
Therefore, the effects on health of litter are exacerbated where communities are already overcrowded, dirty, and resource-deprived. Quality of life, clean air, emotional trauma—everything is intertwined. Litter is not random—it is inherently a function of inequality. Anti-littering measures must be reframed as a matter of health justice, wherein all communities have an equal share of sanitation service and garbage infrastructure built so that waste does not harm the most needy.
Sources Used:
Effects of Waste on Disease Transmission and Respiratory Illness in Manhattan (https://medicine.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Effects-of-Waste-on-Disease-Transmission-and-Respiratory-Illness-in-Manhattan.pdf)
Why trash is a public health issue (https://a816-dohbesp.nyc.gov/IndicatorPublic/data-stories/sanitation/)
Examining the Availability of Litter Bins in New York City (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9103464/)
Mayor Adams Establishes Historic Levels of Permanent DSNY Funding for Clean Public Spaces (https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/293-25/mayor-adams-establishes-historic-levels-permanent-dsny-funding-clean-public-spaces-part)
2023 NYC Waste Characterization Study (https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/downloads/resources/reports/waste-characterization-studies/2023/wcs-2023.pdf)
Stopping Trash Where It Starts (https://www.hudsonriver.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/StoppingTrash_BronxHarlem_Report-FINAL.pdf)
Bronx Litter Hotspots Are Stains Where, Often, No One’s to Blame (https://citylimits.org/bronx-litter-hotspots-are-stains-where-often-no-ones-to-blame/)