Tracking NYC Trash: Using Open Data to Understand and Improve the City’s Waste System

Every trash bag on the curb tells a story about what we buy, what we waste, and how our city works behind the scenes to manage it all. Yet for most New Yorkers, what happens to our trash after collection remains largely invisible. This session pulls back the curtain, showing how publicly available data can help residents better understand New York City’s waste system and use that knowledge to push for smarter, fairer, and more sustainable solutions. Led by the volunteer team behind Track NYC Trash — a project of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Boards — this session explores how open data can become a powerful tool for understanding waste management across the five boroughs.

Participants will receive a guided, hands-on demonstration of the Track NYC Trash dashboards, which translate complex datasets from the NYC Department of Sanitation and other agencies into clear, accessible visuals. Using sources such as DSNY’s Monthly Tonnage Data, the 2023 Waste Characterization Study, and Census-based population figures, this session will highlight key trends in recycling, composting, waste export, and neighborhood-level performance. Attendees will learn how to interpret these numbers, connect them to everyday experience, and use them to better understand whether the City is meeting its stated waste and climate goals.

Designed for residents, advocates, students, journalists, public servants, and curious neighbors, this event welcomes anyone who cares about their community and wants better information to support meaningful change. No technical background is required. Participants will leave with practical tools to engage in data-informed advocacy — and with a deeper sense of how open data can help build a cleaner, more transparent, and more accountable New York City.