Name: What I discovered in New York City trash
Uploaded: 2013-11-05T16:00:26Z
Duration: 7 min 39 s
Description: New York City residents produce 11,000 tons of garbage every day. Every day! This astonishing statistic is just one of the reasons Robin Nagle started a research project with the city's Department of Sanitation. She walked the routes, operated mechanical brooms, even drove a garbage truck herself--all so she could answer a simple-sounding but complicated question: who cleans up after us?

New York City residents produce 11,000 tons of garbage every day. Every day! This astonishing statistic is just one of the reasons Robin Nagle started a research project with the city's Department of Sanitation. She walked the routes, operated mechanical brooms, even drove a garbage truck herself--all so she could answer a simple-sounding but complicated question: who cleans up after us?

What I discovered in New York City  trash

Cities like New York generate 11,000 tons of garbage every single day, a relentless tide managed by a workforce often overlooked and stigmatized. Sanitation workers risk their health and safety daily to keep streets clean and disease at bay. Without their constant efforts, piles of refuse would quickly threaten public health and stall urban life. Their labor underpins the speed and comfort of modern living, yet they rarely receive acknowledgment or gratitude.