Can a trash can change a city’s culture of waste?

There’s a certain symmetry to the unusual way New York deals with its garbage. Unlike most other cities, New York has no regular alleys–a fact for which we can thank the planners of the 1811 street grid, who excluded alleys to cram as much usable real estate into Manhattan as possible. So instead of hiding our unsightly bags behind buildings, we put them right onto the sidewalk. Brutal honesty through street design. It feels apt.

That–among other factors, like the sheer density of the city–has made New Yorkers uniquely attuned to garbage. “One of the things New Yorkers respond to almost immediately is anything having to do with litter,” says Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. “They have a very visceral response to when litter is not in its place.” When her department puts a new garbage can on a city street corner, locals and press will show up for an official unveiling–there’s even a black velvet covering for the occasion. “People feel really strongly,” Garcia says. “They want to come out!”