Trash containers making a difference in NYC’s war on rats

Human Health & the Environment

CBS New York, 08 06, 2026

Video (1:56)

Description

There have been fewer complaints about rats to 311, which appears to show trash container efforts are working. CBS News New York’s Dave Carlin reports.

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Transcript

0:04 · CALL IT A TRASHY TRIUMPH FOR CITY LEADERS IN THEIR WAR AGAINST RATS. AS DAVE CARLIN REPORTS, FEWER COMPLAINTS ABOUT RATS TO 311 APPEAR TO SHOW THOSE CONTAINER EFFORTS ARE WORKING.

0:17 · HIS EAST VILLAGE APARTMENT IS ON A STREET WHERE RATS SEEM TO HIDE DURING THE DAY. BUT AFTER THE SUN GOES DOWN, THEY’RE OUT FOR BUFFET TIME, SAYS JOHN HENNIGAN.

0:26 · AT NIGHT, THEY’RE VERY ACTIVE.

0:30 · ACTIVE ALSO DESCRIBES CITY SANITATION WORKERS DEPLOYING EMPIRE BINS. THE JOB IS DESCRIBED AS DONE IN PARTS OF HARLEM AND MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, WHERE WE SEE THE NEW BINS FOR BUILDINGS, NEW RAT RESISTANT CORNER LITTER BASKETS AND APPROVED SECURE BINS FOR BUSINESSES. FELIX MOLINA SITS IN A PARK HE ONCE AVOIDED FOR BEING RAT INFESTED.

0:50 · NOW IT’S NO PROBLEM AT ALL.

0:51 · MY WIFE ACTUALLY HAD A A FLOWER BED IN OUR FRONT WINDOW THAT WE COULDN’T KEEP FLOWERS IN BECAUSE THE RATS WOULD JUST COME IN AND DIG IT ALL UP AND TEAR IT ALL TO PIECES.

1:02 · AND WHAT ABOUT NOW?

1:04 · NOT NOT A PROBLEM.

1:06 · GREGORY ANDERSON IS COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION, AND WE ASKED HIM WHAT’S GOING ON WITH RAT SIGHTINGS CITYWIDE.

1:14 · AND YOU HAVE SUCCESS.

1:14 · SO IT’S ROUGHLY 22% DECLINE IN RAT COMPLAINTS IN THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR COMPARED TO THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR. CONTAINERIZATION IS THE REASON.

1:24 · HELP WITH RATS ROLLING.

1:25 · OUT NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD. AND IT’S GOING TO TAKE TIME. ACCORDING TO THE CITY, THE CITY MUST BUY HUNDREDS MORE OF THESE AUTOMATED SIDE LOADING COLLECTION TRUCKS TO GO WITH THE EMPIRE BINS.

1:35 · EVEN THOUGH WE’VE TAKEN TWO 3% OF PARKING SPACES, IT’S REALLY MADE A BIG IMPACT ON JUST HOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS AND FEELS.

1:45 · THE FOCUS NOW PARTS OF BROOKLYN, INCLUDING DUMBO, THAN THE REST OF THE CITY.

1:48 · WE WILL BE CITYWIDE BY 2031.

1:50 · SO WE’RE ESTIMATING AROUND 60,000 BINS.

1:53 · LOOK FOR THE PARTS OF BROOKLYN TO BE COMPLETELY CONTAINE