NYC Sanitation Shifts to Winter Schedule: What Residents Should Know

By Y.M. Lowy

The NYC Department of Sanitation has switched to its annual winter schedule, adding extra workers overnight so the city can respond faster to snow and ice.

Even when it’s not snowing, night-shift crews may be out collecting trash, recycling, and compost, which means your pickup could happen a bit earlier or later than usual. To make sure your stuff gets picked up, put it out by midnight on your regular collection day.

The winter schedule will run at least through mid-April, and the city can adjust as needed. During storms, more than 700 salt spreaders hit the streets at the first sign of snow, and once two inches fall, over 2,000 plow-equipped trucks clear the roads. NYC’s sanitation team manages more than 19,000 lane-miles of streets.

For updates or questions, residents can call 311 or check www.nyc.gov/sanitation.