Kolumne Inside America: Kleine zahlen, Große lobbyieren: New Yorks Müll-Revolution
Die Stadt kontrolliert ihre Bürger neuerdings bis in den Müllsack. Konzerne wie Amazon und Kraft Heinz wehren sich derweil erfolgreich dagegen, für die Entsorgung ihrer Verpackungen zu zahlen.
A scolding eviction notice, addressed to my landlord, arrived on a scalded eviction notice. The sender: the New York City waste authority. In our home, the accusation stated, food scraps were not separated from the rest of the waste. A penalty of $25 at the first infraction, up to $100 for repeat offenses, was threatened. A inspector, equipped with a flashlight and gloves, had likely opened my trash bag at the curb.
Ironically, a German national was caught making a false waste separation. At home, warning notices would have undoubtedly hung in the hallway. But behind the humiliation lies a larger struggle: New York is experimenting with waste revolution, and someone must pay for it. The corporations whose packaging ends up in the bags do not want to be responsible.
The bill remains with homeowners and taxpayers. In the Land of the Free, it was for decades a civil liberty to throw waste onto the street. Every evening, New Yorkers piled their half-tied plastic bags along the sidewalk, and at night, rats celebrated. Mayor Zohran Mamdani wants to end the party. By the end of 2031, the black bags must disappear from the sidewalks.
Waste bins were introduced, and since several months, food scraps have to be separated. And those who neglect to do so, pay.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
