Dive Brief:

• Lawmakers in Astoria in Queens, New York are looking to hire private haulers to replace municipal sanitation workers they say are leaving trash overflowing in public garbage cans.
• Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas and state Senator Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) are introducing a bill that will give tax breaks to private companies to empty public waste receptacles, work which can now only be performed by city employees.
• The Sanitation Department confirmed the bins are emptied six times per week instead of twice per day.

Dive Insight:

Businesses are not allowed to empty trash bins, but they can be fined if trash is found on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, retail areas are losing business as customers refuse to shop in areas that aren't clean. Whether or not this is the best solution, something needs to be done about the area's waste problem.