We asked New Yorkers to Talk Trash. They answered.
Here’s what the data says about litter on our streets.
The Dirty Truth:
How New Yorkers Really Feel About Litter
Why some New Yorkers litter. What it means. And how we change it.
Litter on NYC streets is easy to see, but understanding why it happens is a lot harder.
The Sanitation Foundation, in collaboration with Dreyfus Advisors, conducted a first-of-its-kind study to better understand how New Yorkers think about litter and their role in keeping the city clean. The research explores how pride in NYC connects to personal behaviors, attitudes toward littering, and perceptions of responsibility for maintaining clean streets.
The survey was fielded online in March 2025, capturing the attitudes and behaviors of over 1,000 NYC residents who are representative of the five boroughs, and balanced by gender, age, race and ethnicity.
Our findings offer insight into what drives littering behavior, and how we can approach a shift in attitudes and behavior when it comes to proper disposal of trash on the street.
62%
Always dispose of their litter properly
80%
See litter as a major problem
14%
Are chronic litterers
83%
Take pride in being a New Yorker!
Reasons for Littering
No bin nearby
Small items
“It’s someone else’s job”
What They Want
Reminders
Easy options
Proof they can make a difference