NYC Trash Academy

Thank you New York Sanitation Foundation!

Although I didn’t envision myself being passionate about waste management, I have always been interested in nature conservation and material reuse, and waste management is essential to preserving our natural environment. So I was thrilled to be accepted to the New York Sanitation Foundation’s NYC Trash Academy, an educational series for those passionate about a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable city. The 2025 cohort launched in January, but I have already completed the coursework and look forward to a field trip to Balcone’s Recycling facility in Brooklyn in the near future. Trash Academy explores the far-reaching impacts of waste management on the environment, on society, and the economy, and provides in-depth knowledge from professionals in the field and academics. (Some of which started their careers as Sanitation Department workers driving trucks and collecting garbage and are now academics. Like Robin Nagle, who wrote the book Picking Up: On the Streets and Behind the Trucks with the Sanitation Workers of New York City