@nycsanitation
If you mess around with trash, prepare to get trashed (on social media, at least). As the world’s largest municipal sanitation force, the New York City Department of Sanitation has a slew of crucial responsibilities to uphold — with keeping the streets clean and pristine at the top of the list. In an effort to hold offenders accountable, their Instagram account has been naming and shaming — and Ralph Lauren is the latest to catch heat.
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Accompanied with images of the sidewalk outside of the ritzy Ralph Lauren flagship and Ralph’s Coffee at 888 Madison Avenue, @NYCSanitation wrote, “We expected more from you, @ralphlauren. We thought you loved NYC?? As a CHAIN BUSINESS, you are now REQUIRED to containerize your trash. And the trash at your ‘flagship’ is out WAY too early two days in a row! Many of NYC’s small businesses are already following the rules…” The rule in question refers to a newly implemented policy (which went into effect on Tuesday) requiring businesses with over five locations throughout NYC to store trash in containers with closed lids.
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As of August 1, food-related businesses were also ordered to start using lidded containers to store waste in an effort to combat the current rat problem sweeping Manhattan. Considering Ralph’s Coffee (the TikTok-approved java joint which boasts massive lines and a $7 iced tea) is a food-related business, Ralph Lauren’s lack of compliance seems to violate both policies.
Some followers of the account are thrilled with its no BS approach. “I love how this channel continues to call out places/corporations. Legit no filter LOL great work!” said one fan. “NYC sanitation woke up and chose virtual violence today… and I’m here for It,” wrote another. Others are more critical, with a naysayer exclaiming, “It’s your fault because you didn’t do a good job to clean them up fast enough.”
We’re not experts on the New York City Department of Sanitation’s chain of command, but our guess would be that social media and trash collection are separate teams.
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It’s not all dirty drama on the rodent-infested streets, though — beloved Upper West Side wiener wonderland Gray’s Papaya was praised earlier today for abiding by the container code, with @NYCSanitation sharing photos of its “stunning” secured trash cans.
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