Bronx chains have the opportunity to attend three more training sessions to comply with updated New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) regulations to mitigate what has been coined a citywide war against rats.
The remaining remote trainings — which will be held on Sept. 14, Sept. 18 and Sept. 27 — are meant to inform chain business owners about ways to mitigate rodent populations by properly disposing of garbage. The first training was held on Tuesday.
According to information from DSNY, as of this past Tuesday all chain businesses with five or more locations in the city must begin to use rigid containers with secure lids for trash collection, regardless of what the business sells.
This comes more than a year after four New York City Councilmembers — Shaun Abreu and Erik Bottcher of Manhattan, as well as Sandy Nurse and Chi Ossé of Brooklyn — introduced a “Rat Action Plan” to mitigate the city’s decade-high level of rat infestation.
In March Bronx Department of Education institutions were also a focal point in the rodent fight — after DSNY announced they had trained 325 schools in the borough on proper refuse separation, and made plans to receive daily weekday compost service.
To take the fight one step further, a month later New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the city’s first “rat czar” Kathleen Corradi. The DOE alum’s job, which pays her an annual $155,000 salary, is to eradicate rodent populations.
As of Aug. 1, food-related businesses such as catering companies, food manufacturers, food preparation establishments, food service places, food wholesalers, and retail food stores must also use a city-approved bin to avoid fines.
Chain businesses are encouraged to join the Microsoft Teams meetings through the end of the month to learn more about the city’s new regulations for rat mitigation. For more information visit nyc.gov/UseBins.
Reach Camille Botello at cbotello@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
