NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue announced the installation of new trash receptacles custom-designed for the disposal of pizza boxes.
Now, when you are out at the park, you can slide your pizza box into a bin specially for it.
By keeping pizza boxes separate from other trash, the Parks Department hopes to reduce trash can overflow to keep parks cleaner.
City officials say the new bins should also help keep rats away.
"Pizza Rat will find no quarter in city parks soon enough, thanks to these pizza-ready trash cans," said Meera Joshi, Deputy Mayor for Operations. "This is yet another creative way the Adams administration is improving quality of life for people, not pests."
"Whether you're relaxing after caring for your local garden, taking in a Movie Under the Stars, or just connecting with your neighbors, few things are more quintessentially New York than enjoying a slice of pizza in one of our public parks," Donoghue said. "We all know that you shouldn't try to fit a square peg into a round hole, which is why we're deploying special trash cans just for pizza boxes to parks throughout the five boroughs. Now, pizza lovers throughout the city can help us keep our shared public spaces clean by disposing of their boxes in these special receptacles, fighting the scourge of rats, and ensuring our greenspaces are litter-free."
The new trash bins pay homage to the classic red-and-white checkered tablecloths of New York pizza shops.
A total of six receptacles have been installed in five parks throughout the city, just in time for Labor Day weekend:
- Bronx: Loreto Playground
- Brooklyn: Saratoga Park
- Manhattan: Father Demo Square
- Queens: Sobelsohn Playground
- Staten Island: Jennifer's Playground
The test location in Central Park is also still operational. It is on East Drive between The Met and The Great Lawn.