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More than a third of New Yorkers admit to littering in survey
By
Liam Quigley
Published May 12, 2025
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Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
By
Liam Quigley
Published May 12, 2025
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More than a third of New Yorkers admitted to littering in a new survey that also showed the Bronx and Queens have more litterbugs than other boroughs.
Almost half of Bronx residents said that they litter, and younger men were more likely to toss waste to the curb than other groups surveyed. Overall, 30% said they never littered, and another 16% said they’d called out strangers for throwing trash on the ground. The data was collected by the non-profit Sanitation Foundation, which surveyed more than 1,000 people.
Some of the top excuses for the misdeed were a lack of nearby trash cans, that the litter in question was merely a “small item,” or “my mind was on something else.”
While there are more than 20,000 litter baskets across the city, Manhattanites are more likely to live on a block with a trash can on the corner. The demand for more litter baskets has remained steady, with the sanitation department receiving around 2,700 requests for new ones annually since 2015.
The survey found that younger men in the Bronx and Queens admitted to littering more often, with “being in a hurry” offered as a common excuse. Another popular reason for littering was “my mind was on something else.”
Almost 60% of those surveyed thought that everyone shared blame for litter on the streets and sidewalks. But teenagers (37%), dog walkers (26%), and tourists (25%) were also perceived as responsible for littering. New Yorkers also ranked party animals and delivery workers when asked to select a set of groups they blamed for trashing the streets.
The Sanitation Foundation plans to launch a new anti-littering campaign on Thursday, which will include a public art installation in Manhattan’s Cooper Square.
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new york city
sanitation
Liam Quigley
Liam Quigley is a reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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