SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Complaints about garbage in public areas around Syracuse are plentiful. The city has been experimenting with ways to reduce the trash.
A man originally from Rhode Island said that when he arrived in Syracuse there was trash “everywhere.” He said it’s not as bad now, but many areas still need attention.
In June, the city began a test-run of new 96-gallon trash carts. According to the city’s website, rather than being manually emptied, the new carts are semi-automated and city trash trucks are equipped with a mechanical “tipper arm.”
The carts were distributed to 6,800 properties, about a fifth of Syracuse’s total residential properties. Though they were spread across the city, some residents are concerned that certain neighborhoods are still being neglected.
“Let me ask you this,” said Deborah, a longtime resident of Syracuse who walks different streets everyday with her dog, “where was that trial run? What location did you lay those trash cans out? Don’t let the roadmap fool you.”
Deborah said the city is making an effort, but it’s not enough. “See for yourself. Walk or ride down Salina [Street] and see the old abandoned houses and where people are living,” she said.
A city sanitation worker said the new carts are “great for the city.” Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh has also added that the new carts will significantly reduce worker’s compensation claims.
According to the Department of Public Works website, the city is planning on releasing more of the new trash carts in the late summer or fall of this year. Covered recycling carts will be arriving in 2024.
