Candied Apple
In one word, how would you describe New York City? Oh, I know! FILTHY!
In a city of over 8 million people, the good ol’ N.Y.C. is filled with a plethora of different personalities, cultures, foods, and more. But one thing that all of us “New Yaw-kas” have in common (apart from our location) is our contribution to the city’s unending supply of garbage.
According to the Department of Sanitation website, over 12,000 tons of residential and institutional refuse and recyclables are collected by them each day. And, another 13,000 tons are collected from businesses by private carting companies as well on a daily basis.
But what happens to the remaining waste? Does it disappear? If you live here, you know the answer to this question is no.
The rest of the waste is heavily sprinkled into our streets, sidewalks, hallways, stairwells, train tracks, and in every other space left on this big, filth-candied apple we live on.
We’re so used to this waste that it doesn’t ever bother a lot of us. We step over and around elevator urine, avoid sitting in dirty train seats and lift up our feet to avoid stray bottles as they dance around our train and bus floors. We turn up our noses, cover or faces with our hands, or exit the train car when a homeless person enters. And, let’s not delve into the fact that we will make every attempt to dodge even the slightest bit of contact with these unfortunate, city dwellers that we come into contact with each day.
But who cares…right? I do! So, next time you’re about to dodge a homeless person like Neo from the Matrix, think about how that might make them feel. Or next time you’re about to throw something on the floor, stop and think about the fact that there’s a garbage can on nearly every corner and several cans in every train station of this great city. Perhaps next time you can throw that Pepsi bottle or Starbucks cup into a receptacle, rather than leaving it in the Baruch classroom or train seat you just sat in for an hour and a half.
Or maybe not, but at least you tried! 