DSNY: Large and In Charge

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is the largest sanitation department in the world. It employs nearly 10,000 workers, has a fleet of close to 3,000 vehicles, and if collecting more than 10,500 tons of residential and institutional garbage—along with 1,760 tons of recyclables—every day isn’t enough, the DSNY also has to clear snow during the winter months.

It is truly such a massive operation that it’s difficult to comprehend its totality.

Leading the way is the Department’s Commissioner, Kathryn Garcia. Commissioner Garcia was appointed to the position in March 2014 by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
During a press event in July, the Commissioner was kind enough to grant a one-on-one interview, to talk about the challenges her department faces, food waste, getting to zero waste, and she offered some waste management advice to other communities.

The New York City Department of Sanitation has an annual budget of $1.4 billion. It disposes of more than 3.2 million tons of refuse each year, and recycles more than 600,000 tons of material.