Squeaky clean: New York curtails rubbish dumping to deter rodents

Latest move in rat v human war places limits on when people can toss their waste

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  A rat leaves its burrow at a park in New York City. AP

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  Pedestrians pass rubbish bags on a street in Manhattan in 2021. AFP

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  Rubbish bags piled high on a street in Manhattan in 2021. AFP

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  Runners pass a dead rat as they cross the Pulaski bridge during the 2021 New York City Marathon in Brooklyn. AFP

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  A rat crosses a Times Square subway platform in New York. AP

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  More rubbish bags in Manhattan last year. AFP

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  Rubbish bins are removed from public places as a safety precaution on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack, on September 10, 2021. AFP

New Yorkers are facing new limits on when they can leave rubbish bags on the street, as the city tries a new weapon in its unending war on rats.

Any visitor to the Big Apple knows well the sight — and smell — of rubbish piled up high on the pavement, with bags often dumped during daytime hours.

Rats enjoy the easy access to rubbish and food remains, and the voracious rodents are a familiar sight on the city's streets, subways and alleys.

Rat sightings have increased 71 per cent since 2020, New York City Council member Shaun Abreu said.

On Monday, New York City Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Mayor Eric Adams said that homes and businesses would only be allowed to take out the rubbish from 8pm, four hours later than current rules allow.

“New Yorkers will not have to fear as many rats hiding in late night shadows,” Ms Tisch said.

Residents who are able to place their rubbish in pest-proof bins can take it out from 6pm.

“No more watching these bags litter our sidewalks,” Mr Adams said.

The mayor has pledged to solve the city’s sanitation issues and said in June that part of the more than $100 billion budget this year will be allocated to cleaning up public spaces.

In the first six months of 2022, complaints about rubbish on pavements jumped to 17,749 from 13,026, Politico reported in August.

Perhaps the best known incident of a New York rat sneaking some food waste home was captured in this viral video from 2015.