How New York Turned Civic Pride Into Cleaner Streets: Launching a grassroots campaign for New Yorkers, by New Yorkers.
When authenticity meets accountability, even the most cynical New Yorkers will listen.
How do you get 8.5 million of the world's most jaded locals to change their behavior? That was the question we faced when launching our citywide anti-litter Don't Do NYC Dirty campaign this spring in New York City.
We knew the answer wouldn't be found in guilt trips or finger-wagging. New Yorkers don't respond to being told what to do: they respond to being seen for who they are. So we made a different choice: Don't lecture them. Reflect them.
Our citywide PSA campaign was built on one unwavering belief: that New Yorkers' fierce pride in their city could become the catalyst for collective action. That pride, that deep-rooted connection to the five boroughs, could be the bridge between awareness and behavior change. We believed New Yorkers would rise to the challenge if we met them on their own terms.
The data suggests we got it right.
A Sustainability Campaign Built on New York's Own Terms
The #DDNYCD campaign took its message to the streets, literally. Ads ran on garbage trucks, litter bins, taxi tops, pickleball courts, and local cinemas, meeting New Yorkers where they already were. In partnership with content creator New York Nico, the campaign leveraged the voices residents actually trust: their neighbors, pizza makers, local icons, and DSNY (New York Department of Sanitation) Sanitation workers themselves.
As the New York Times noted, the campaign's tagline "Don't Do NYC Dirty" struck a chord because it spoke to New Yorkers as insiders. It wasn't about shame. It was about shared responsibility for the city we all call home.
This wasn't a top-down lecture about littering. It was a conversation starter, borough to borough, corner deli to commuter train. The result: authentic, community-driven creative that resonated across all five boroughs, from Manhattan to the Bronx to Staten Island, Queens and Brooklyn.
And that message was amplified citywide.
Powered by Unprecedented Media Support
From the campaign’s launch in May 2025 through the end of October, New York’s media community stepped up in a remarkable way. Our media agency partner, Spero Media, helped scale the campaign far beyond what traditional budgets could achieve. We worked with 34 television, radio, print, and out-of-home partners, and 30 of them donated media space to support the cause.
That generosity delivered 219 million impressions across more than 254,000 placements, ensuring New Yorkers encountered the message everywhere from their morning commute to their neighborhood blocks. In total, partners contributed $2.3 million in donated media value, more than double the original goal.
In a city overflowing with messages, New York’s media chose to amplify Don’t Do NYC Dirty and that support helped turn a grassroots idea into a citywide movement.
The Numbers Tell the Story
In under six months, the Don't Do NYC Dirty campaign didn't just make noise: it measurably shifted behavior and attitudes across New York City. The study was conducted by Dreyfus Advisors, an independent market research company based in Connecticut.
Recognition jumped. Just months after launch, 21% of New Yorkers recalled the DDNYCD ad, a remarkable reach for a grassroots effort. And recall translated directly into impact: among those who saw the ad, nearly two-thirds now recognized littering as a major problem in NYC, up from just over a third before the campaign. City-wide, the number of New Yorkers who recognize littering as a major problem increased from 41% to 57%.
Behavior changed. The share of self-proclaimed non-litterers grew city-wide from 62% to 71%. The impact was especially strong in Queens and the Bronx, where residents showed some of the greatest shifts in behavior. Among New Yorkers who expressed pride in their city, the number rose even higher, with non-litterers climbing from 62% to 76%.
Personal responsibility deepened. Agreement with the statement "If you're proud of New York City, you don't litter" reached 91%. And crucially, more New Yorkers now believe they can make a difference: 80% agreed that "my daily actions can make the city a better place to live," up from 74% before the campaign.
Why This Worked: Pride as Policy
The success of Don't Do NYC Dirty is rooted in a simple insight: New Yorkers are proud. Eighty-four percent of residents take pride in this city, and when you tap into that pride, you don't just reach their minds, you reach their duty to the city. One respondent said, “It (PSA video) showcases a wide cross section of cultures, neighborhoods and residents. This couldn’t be anywhere else.”
This campaign is proving that when you respect your audience enough to speak their language, trust their intelligence, and appeal to their best instincts, even the smallest actions add up. From the commute to the corner deli, keeping streets clean keeps our collective spirit strong. In New York, small actions accumulate. And when New Yorkers come together, anything is possible.
The Work Continues
Cleaner streets and stronger communities require sustained effort. The Sanitation Foundation continues to work alongside DSNY, local community organizations, thought leaders, content creators, and community stewards to amplify this message, ensuring that the greatest city in the world can also be the cleanest.
Some will say one person can't make a difference. But at the Sanitation Foundation, we know better.