How Does the Park Stay Clean and Green?: A Community Effort

In the 1970s, Central Park was full of litter and graffiti. Steel drums served as trash receptacles. Garbage and recycling trucks crossed onto lawns and pedestrian paths to reach the overflowing bins.

The Park is an incredibly different place now. After 40 years of work and partnering with the public, the Central Park Conservancy transformed the Park into a world-renowned and thriving greenspace. Our 42 million annual visitors cherish these 843 acres as an inviting oasis in the middle of the most populated city in the U.S.

Especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, appreciation for—and use of—Central Park has significantly increased. More New Yorkers than ever have turned the Park into a place for working out, communing with nature and friends, and improving their emotional wellbeing. The Conservancy’s collaboration with the public has never been more important as we all reap the benefits of this essential shared greenspace. So how do we manage all the trash and recyclables generated by all of our visitors? Efficiently, with the help of our trash management and recycling program. But we could not do it without the help of Park-goers who are dedicated to keeping their backyard clean.

"Carry In, Carry Out"

It takes a community to help Central Park stay healthy. Our visitors have a hand in keeping the Park clean, and without your help, it wouldn’t be possible to maintain its beauty or cleanliness. Whether you actively “carry in, carry out”—carrying out any trash you bring into the Park— volunteer, or support our work, we’re thankful for your partnership.

A Healthy Park Creates a Healthy City

Beginning with Sheep Meadow in 1980, the Conservancy removed trash cans from the interior of landscapes and placed them on nearby paths, the Drives, and the Park’s perimeter. This reduces vehicular traffic related to trash collection, which protects the Park’s landscapes and keeps visitors and Conservancy staff safer.

We’ve continued to reduce the number of locations throughout the Park where trash receptacles can be found. Less trash means fewer rats in the Park.

The urgent need to address public health directly led to the creation of Central Park, and 160 years later, public health is once again top of mind. Conservancy staff works with our community every day so the Park remains clean and accessible, and this experience shows us the incredible role proper trash management has in keeping a city and its people healthy. We cannot do it alone.

Tools of the Trade

Many people know Central Park as one of the most famous greenspaces in the world, but they don’t know that our trash cans are iconic as well! In 2013, we installed more than 700 garbage and recycling receptacles which were specifically designed and patented for Central Park. A major upgrade from the old steel drums, these receptacles can remain outdoors year-round and hamper rodents’ ability to climb inside. They are also made from partially recycled aluminum, and their one-of-a-kind design was inspired by the slats of Central Park’s benches.

In recent years we introduced an expanded electric fleet of carts for garbage collection to replace older gas-powered versions. Quieter, with no emissions, these new carts help to make our waste management even cleaner and greener. They are tailored for specific tasks such as collecting leaves and trash, serving as a power source for tools, assisting with specific technical services, and transporting staff throughout the Park, so the Conservancy has more time to maintain the Park’s landscapes―planting shrubs and flowers and caring for our lawns, among many other tasks.