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Turns out New York’s most notorious litterbugs aren’t tourists or Wall Street bros—it’s Gen Z guys from the Bronx and Queens.
A new survey from the Sanitation Foundation, the nonprofit partner of DSNY, has identified the city’s “chronic litterers.” As reported by the New York Post, the culprits are overwhelmingly men aged 18 to 34 who admit they’re skipping the trashcan far too often. The excuse? No bins nearby, or they were “in a hurry”—classic.
Despite owning up to their messy habits, many of these same respondents still claim to take pride in being New Yorkers and look down on others who litter, calling them “lazy” or “disrespectful.” The irony is not lost on us.
Overall, 83-percent of city residents say they’re proud to live in NYC, and 8 in 10 agree litter is a major issue. Yet per the survey, 38-percent confessed that they don’t always throw away their garbage properly, and only 29-percent said they’ve never littered. (We see you, humblebraggers.)
The dirtiest borough by complaint volume? Brooklyn, with more than 30,000 311 complaints filed since January 2024. Queens clocked in second with nearly 21,000, then Manhattan (17,000), the Bronx (13,200), and Staten Island bringing up the rear with a relatively tidy 6,700.
Women over 45 were the least likely to admit to littering. Meanwhile, older New Yorkers were more likely to say they feel responsible for keeping the city clean and more likely to actually pick up trash.
One man, 32-year-old Carlos Amaya of Astoria, said he’s leaving Queens altogether for a quieter life in Long Island. “There’s trash everywhere—everywhere!” he told the Post, citing Corona as the borough’s messiest zone.
In response, the city is beefing up its sanitation efforts, with a $32 million funding boost and a new “Don’t Do NYC Dirty” campaign that urges New York residents to put their trash where it belongs. Because if you love New York City, maybe don’t trash it!
Would more bins help? Absolutely, especially in the outer boroughs, where locals say it’s slim pickings between corners. Until then, maybe just hang onto that coffee cup a few more blocks.