The Social and Economic Price of Littering
By Nico Bernstein
Trash in the streets of New York City is a gargantuan problem. Not only does trash look bad, but it's also really costly to remove. The city does attempt to spend millions upon millions of dollars annually to maintain the cleanliness of the streets, parks, and public areas as best it can. It's a tall order in a city as populated and crowded as NYC, where millions of individuals work, reside, and visit each and every day. When individuals litter unnecessarily, it not only makes the city appear filthy but also compels the government to spend extra money and resources on cleanup efforts, which otherwise would not have been spent. The city initiated a massive clean-up campaign in 2022 named "Get Stuff Clean." It spent $14.5 million of NYC's budget to cater to areas that had been neglected for years. It went towards more litter removal, cleaner streets, and measures to tackle the city's growing rat infestation. The next year, New York chipped in an additional $22 million to improve trash can service on heavily populated streets so that garbage would not pile up and overflow. These moves show just how bad the littering has become and how costly it is to repair. But the government hasn't always but the government hasn't always valued cleanliness or funded sanitation programs adequately.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, budget cuts dropped the sanitation department's budget by more than $100 million. That resulted in fewer trash pickups and more trash running through the city streets. Because of it, the city started to feel very dirty, and New Yorkers protested in the streets. The slashes also provided for rat infestations to rise, particularly where there is heavy foot traffic. The issue not only frustrates New Yorkers but also visitors. NYC is one of the world's best cities. Over 66 million tourists came to the city in 2019, prior to the pandemic infecting the nation, and spent almost $50 billion. Individuals visit NYC for the views, cuisine, and history. But when they notice garbage on the sidewalks or catch a whiff of spoiled food on a sweltering summer day, they leave with a bad attitude. And if tourists go away with a bad impression of the city due to its cleanliness, they may never return. Worse, they'll advise others not to visit it either. Which means fewer tourists, which means fewer dollars being spent at local restaurants, hotels, and shops, and that does damage to the city's economy. Littering might not be such a big deal compared to the big deals our country is facing today, but in a city as large and busy as New York, it quickly adds up.
It costs the city millions of dollars, makes public spaces less appealing, and keeps people away. Keeping the city clean is not only about aesthetics; it's about preserving New York's economy, health, and quality of life. That's why the City must continue to invest in sanitation. Everyone has a part to play in keeping NYC beautiful and welcoming, whether it's by putting trash in the correct bin or backing policies that pay for street cleaning and waste management.