New York City has a reputation for many things—Broadway, the skyline, bagels—but for decades, the "trash on the sidewalk" look was arguably its most consistent feature. That changed when the NYC Department of Sanitation commissioner role was handed to Jessica Tisch in early 2022. It wasn't just another political appointment. It was a shift toward a data-driven, slightly aggressive, and highly visible war on rats and black bags.
If you live here, you've seen the bins. You’ve heard the "Trash Revolution" branding. But who actually runs the largest sanitation department in the world?
Who is the NYC Department of Sanitation Commissioner?
Jessica Tisch isn't a career "san man," though she's certainly embraced the culture of the 10,000-person strong agency. Before she took over DSNY, she was the head of NYC Cyber Command and a deputy commissioner at the NYPD. That background in tech and policing is exactly why the department looks so different right now. She treats trash like a logistics and enforcement problem rather than just a pick-up service.
She took the job during a weird time. The city was emerging from the pandemic, the "rat summer" of 2022 was in full swing, and morale at many city agencies was, frankly, in the gutter.
Tisch became a bit of an overnight internet sensation shortly after her appointment. During a press conference about the city's war on rats, she uttered the now-immortal line: "The rats are absolutely going to hate this announcement. The rats don't run this city. We do." It went viral. It was memed. But behind the soundbite was a massive policy shift that New Yorkers are still trying to navigate.
The Strategy: Moving Away from the 1970s
For about 50 years, New York City had a bizarre relationship with its waste. We just threw it on the ground. Seriously. While cities like Paris, Barcelona, and even New Jersey suburbs used containers, NYC clung to the "black bag on the curb" method. It was a buffet for vermin.
The NYC Department of Sanitation commissioner decided that had to end.
The Containerization Mandate
The biggest move under Tisch’s tenure has been the mandatory use of bins. It started with businesses. As of late 2023 and early 2024, all businesses in NYC are required to put their trash in lidded containers. No more loose bags. Then came the residential side. Small residential buildings (1-9 units) are now being phased into the same requirement.
It sounds simple. It’s actually a nightmare of logistics.
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Think about the physical space. NYC sidewalks are narrow. You have pedestrians, delivery bikes, outdoor dining sheds, and now millions of plastic bins. Tisch has been vocal about the fact that "this is going to be hard," but she's pushed through the criticism from landlords and businesses who hate the extra cost of the bins.
The "Midnight" Shift
Another huge change the NYC Department of Sanitation commissioner implemented was the timing of set-outs. For years, you could put your trash out at 4:00 PM. That meant the bags sat there for 10 or 12 hours before a truck ever arrived. That’s a long time for a rat to find a hole in a bag.
Tisch pushed that time back to 8:00 PM (or 6:00 PM if you use a lidded bin). The goal was to reduce the "feast time" for rodents. It’s a subtle change that required a massive rescheduling of thousands of sanitation workers’ shifts.
The Logistics of 12,000 Tons of Trash
To understand why this job is so stressful, look at the numbers. We’re talking about roughly 12,000 tons of residential and institutional waste every single day. That doesn't even count the commercial waste handled by private carters.
The DSNY has a fleet of over 2,000 collection trucks. Under the current commissioner, there’s been a massive push to modernize this fleet. We’re talking about side-loading trucks that can pick up the new European-style containers being trialed in places like West Harlem.
It’s not just about picking up the stuff. It’s about where it goes. Since the Fresh Kills Landfill closed, NYC exports its trash to places like Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina. It’s an expensive, carbon-heavy process. Tisch has had to navigate the political landmines of the "Waste-to-Energy" debate and the push for more local composting.
Composting: The Great Mandate
Speaking of composting, this is where the NYC Department of Sanitation commissioner has really put her stamp on the city's future. For years, organic waste collection was a "boutique" service. You signed up for it if you were a hardcore environmentalist in Park Slope.
Tisch and the Adams administration turned it into a mandate.
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Queens was the guinea pig. Then Brooklyn. Now, curbside composting is becoming a citywide requirement. The logic is simple: if you take the food out of the trash bags, the rats have nothing to eat. If the rats have nothing to eat, they die or move.
The rollout hasn't been perfect. Some people hate the "brown bins." Others find it confusing. But the tonnage numbers show that New Yorkers are actually doing it. In the first few months of the Queens rollout, the department collected millions of pounds of organic waste that would have otherwise rotted in a landfill.
Dealing with the "Invisible" Workforce
Being the NYC Department of Sanitation commissioner isn't just about bins and rats; it's about people. The DSNY is a uniformed service. Like the NYPD and FDNY, it has a deep culture, its own ceremonial traditions, and a very powerful union.
Sanitation workers have one of the most dangerous jobs in the city. They deal with heavy machinery, erratic drivers, and hazardous materials daily. Tisch has made a point of being visible at garages and "midnight" roll calls.
There's also the snow.
In NYC, the Sanitation Commissioner is effectively the "Snow Czar." If a blizzard hits and the streets aren't clear by rush hour, the commissioner's head is usually the first one on the chopping block. History is littered with commissioners who lost their jobs because of a poorly managed snowstorm (just ask the people around during the 1969 "Lindsay" snowstorm). Tisch has leaned heavily on tech here, using GPS tracking for every plow and brine spreader to ensure the response is equitable across all five boroughs.
The Criticism: Not Everyone is a Fan
It wouldn't be New York if people weren't complaining.
The most common gripe? The loss of parking. To make room for the large, communal "on-street" containers being tested in certain neighborhoods, the city has to remove parking spots. For a car-owning New Yorker, that’s basically an act of war.
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Then there’s the enforcement. The NYC Department of Sanitation commissioner has ramped up fines for dirty sidewalks and improper bin usage. Critics argue this disproportionately affects small homeowners and immigrant-owned businesses who might not stay up to date on the ever-changing "set-out" rules.
There’s also the "Greenwashing" argument. Some environmental groups feel that while bins are great for rats, they don't do enough to actually reduce the amount of waste we produce. They want more focus on circular economies and less on just "hiding" the trash in a plastic box.
The Future of NYC Streets
What does the endgame look like for the current NYC Department of Sanitation commissioner?
If the plan works, the "New York look" of mountains of black bags will eventually vanish. You’ll see standardized, gray bins on every block. You’ll see more specialized trucks. You might even see a city that doesn't smell like hot garbage in August.
But it’s a slow climb.
Tisch is currently overseeing the largest overhaul of NYC's waste management system in over half a century. It's a mix of high-tech data tracking and the very low-tech reality of throwing bags into a hopper.
Actionable Insights for New Yorkers
If you're trying to stay on the right side of the DSNY and avoid those annoying pink tickets, here’s what you actually need to do:
- Get the Bin: If you live in a building with 1-9 units, you need to use a lidded bin for all trash. Not just recycling—trash. As of late 2024, the city is moving toward a "unified" bin that you'll likely have to purchase directly.
- Watch the Clock: Do not put your trash out before 6:00 PM if you're using a container, or 8:00 PM if you're still using bags (where allowed). Putting it out at 2:00 PM is a guaranteed way to get a fine.
- Separate the Scraps: Use the brown bin for food scraps. It’s not optional anymore in most boroughs. This includes meat, bones, and dairy—things that couldn't go in old-school compost piles.
- Report Issues: Use the 311 app. The current administration is obsessed with data. If a corner basket is overflowing, take a photo and report it. These reports actually influence where trucks are dispatched for "litter basket" runs.
- Check the Map: The DSNY website now has real-time tracking for things like snow plows and leaf collection. Use it before you decide to move your car for alternate side parking.
The role of the NYC Department of Sanitation commissioner has evolved from a simple "pick up the trash" job to a complex role involving public health, urban planning, and behavioral psychology. Whether you love the bins or hate the loss of parking, the streets are changing. For the first time in a generation, the city is actually trying to solve the "garbage" problem instead of just moving it around.