In the late 19th century New York City was facing a public health crisis, as disease outbreaks, like cholera and yellow fever, were becoming common and the city’s mortality rate was on par with medieval London. DSNY’s predecessor agency, the Department of Street Cleaning (DSC), was founded in 1881 amid what was essentially a public health crisis. Mired in political corruption, they did not succeed in cleaning the city until 1893, when a new mayor was able to briefly oust Tammany Hall from power and appoint Colonel George Waring to be the commissioner of the DSC. In a remarkably short time, he was able to transform the agency into a military-like operation, dramatically increasing its efficiency. Sanitation Workers, for a brief time, were lauded as heroes by a cynical public that, until then, did not believe that the city could ever really be cleaned.

September 11th, 2001 was probably the most significant day in New York City history. What might not be so well known is the vital role that DSNY played in the recovery effort, not only on the days immediately following the attacks but in the weeks and months thereafter. About 400,000 tons of metal was salvaged and recycled. Over the next ten months, DSNY worked tirelessly to sift through 1.2 millions tons of debris, down to a quarter-inch sieve, in order to remove any human remains, personal effects, evidence, or artifacts.

In 2012 Superstorm Sandy caused an estimated $19 billion in damage. DSNY fully mobilized the morning after the storm, working around the clock for over a month to remove over 420,000 tons of storm debris. The Department also operated additional collection services for impacted communities, where food and supplies were being distributed and residents were gutting their flooded homes.

We now find ourselves in an unprecedented global pandemic, testing the city in new ways. As we have before, we will clean up, rebuild, and rebound and DSNY will be there, tirelessly working to keep New York City healthy, safe, and clean. Residents, you can do your part, too. Listen to directions from the city and be sure to stay home as much as possible and practice social distancing. Continue to put out your garbage and recyclables at the regular times, being mindful not to dispose of any common hazards to keep our workers safe.