New York is finally learning how to stop its rat infestations. The answer is bins

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy New York City residents take out their trash by flinging plastic bags stuffed with stinking garbage straight onto the sidewalk. “But it is revolutionary by New York City’s standards because, for 50 years, we have placed all our trash directly on the curbs.” open image in gallery Empty garbage cans sit on a Harlem street in the Manhattan borough of New York, Feb. 11, 1968 Residents who've already experienced trash containerization elsewhere agree it's long overdue for New York City to catch up. open image in gallery Piles of trash line a sidewalk, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York Then in 1968, the city’s sanitation workers went on strike. open image in gallery A sanitation worker collects trash, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York Rats have little problem getting into a plastic bag.