The Reason You Don’t See Trash Cans on the Lower East Side
You may have noticed the lack of trash cans on street corners around the Lower East Side this week. Vanished seemingly overnight.
As a precaution this week, the city quietly removed receptacles from neighborhoods overwhelmingly hit by unrest and looting following the killing of George Floyd. It’s estimated that roughly 2,000 were temporarily towed citywide, equating to about 9-percent of the 23,000 Department of Sanitation cans dotting the Five Boroughs.
“Removing baskets is standard practice during some large events like New Year’s Eve celebrations, parades, and the like,” Sanitation spokesman Joshua Goodman said in a public statement.
No word yet on when residents can expect a return of the baskets.