Sanitation Foundation Blog
Get to know the Sanitation Foundation and explore the rich history of the NYC Department of Sanitation.
Waste Pioneer: Catie Savage, the “Trash Queen of Hell’s Kitchen”
We caught up with Catie Savage, founder of the Hell’s Kitchen Litter Legion, about embracing our personal responsibility to help keep shared public spaces clean.
Waste Pioneer(s): Adopt Your Spot Heroes!
We wanted to take some time to profile some stand-out volunteers who have stepped up to join Adopt Your Spot NYC. Their dedicated efforts make seem small, but together they make a monumental difference in the cleanliness of New York City.
Waste Pioneer: Yoni Kallai and play:groundNYC
NYC’s trash becomes an adventure at The Yard, New York’s first and only “adventure playground.” We’re thrilled to share about the concept of this groundbreaking play-place, as told to us by Yoni Kallai, a co-founder of play:groundNYC.
Waste Pioneer: Ashlee Barker, Operations Lead for Agencies & Buildings in DSNY’s Technical Assistance & Training Unit
Ashlee Barker is helping New York City Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. “If it doesn't have to go to the landfill, let's try to make sure it doesn't go to the landfill,” she says.
Waste Pioneer: Chief Jeff Pitts, Chief of Cleaning Operations, The NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY)
Learn about DSNY’s “Trash Revolution" from a 25-year veteran: Chief of Cleaning Operations Jeff Pitts.
Waste Pioneer: NYC Sanitation Anthropologist-in-Residence Robin Nagle
We are thrilled to present one of our favorite Waste Pioneers, Dr. Robin Nagle. Robin is a lifelong DSNY supporter, a former Sanitation Worker, an NYU Professor and a treasured Board member of the Sanitation Foundation - a true pioneer in the field of waste management.
Waste Pioneer: Compost Champion Lisa Vehrenkamp
Lisa has helped her entire high-rise apartment building in Brooklyn successfully adopt composting! Learn more about her journey and gain tips about how to get your building to divert food waste from landfill.
New Series: Waste Pioneers
Meet Vishal Kumar, CEO of Waste Warriors
Vishal is the passionate, driving force behind Waste Warriors, a non-profit startup in India, whose goal is to reduce plastic pollution in the Indian Himalayas. We met up with him here in NYC while he was helping to clean up Times Square during The Great Broadway Sweep.
Clean City Alliance: Keeping Streets Clean and Improving Quality of Life
We’ve begun cleaning services in our two pilot locations in central Brooklyn and are already seeing a remarkable change in the appearance of these busy commercial areas.
Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop at Our Bronx Summer Cleanup Series
Along with clearing the streets of litter, we will also be celebrating one of the borough's most famous inventions: hip hop.
Celebrating NYC Community Cleanup Leaders – And Introducing Our First Tool Grant Recipients
Our tool grants and starter kits are helping community groups organize their own litter cleanups.
Kick Off the New Year with Zero Waste Academy!
Are you looking for a New Year’s Resolution or an inspiring way to start 2023? We are delighted to announce the return of Zero Waste Academy (ZWA)!
The Citizens Committee to Keep New York City Clean
A brief history of the Citizens Committee to Keep New York City Clean, Inc. from 1955-1970. The Committee served as a non-profit community engagement agency which encouraged New Yorkers to not only properly dispose of their litter, but also to actively participate in cleaning up their neighborhoods.
Proud to Announce DSNY’s Newest Benevolent Society: Pride of Sanitation
An enlightening conversation with Sanitation Workers Dzara Melcone and Justin Portelli, founding members of Pride at DSNY. Read on to learn more about their experience as LGTBQIA+ individuals in the Sanitation workforce.
Following the Lead of these Follow Your Waste Winners
Congrats to the classrooms who won the Follow Your Waste Prize!
Introducing the ReFashion Week 2022 Designer & Stylist of the Year
Meet Mahdiyyah Muhammad and Terell McCollum, the winning Designer & Stylist of ReFashion Week 2022
Zero Waste Academy is back for Spring 2022!
We are delighted to announce the return of the Zero Waste Academy, our free educational series about waste management – an increasingly relevant topic in the sustainability conversation
Spring Cleaning—the responsible way
It’s time for Spring Cleaning, and we encourage everyone to clean out in a responsible, waste-conscious way—prioritizing reuse especially. Check out how the Buy Nothing Project makes doing so easy!
In Honor of Black History Month: Learn about the DSNY African American Benevolent Society
In celebration of Black History Monday, we caught up with Janie Nesbitt, the Manhattan Borough Vice President of the DSNY African American Benevolent Society, about the important work of her organization.
How This Metal-Working Mechanic Moved Mack Trucks
Meet Emilisa Robles, the recipient of this year’s DSNY Art Show Sustainability Prize, awarded by Mack Trucks