A big shout-out to New York’s street sweepers.
Following Thursday’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Sanitation Department collected 41.54 tons of discarded food, clothing, and other debris along the parade’s 41.5-mile route.
The amount of trash picked up is equivalent to the weight of a hefty humpback whale.
This year’s haul was notably higher than the 36 tons gathered after last year’s event, which still brought in a full crowd despite inclement weather.
However, the total for this year is modest compared to the decade-high 65 tons from the 2023 parade. Typically, around 62 tons have been collected in past years.
A representative from the Sanitation Department commented, “Besides the usual confetti and shredded paper, on a sunny, chilly day like this, it also means tons of coffee cups, donut boxes, and extra layers of clothing left behind by the participants.”
After the parade, more than 180 sanitation workers hurried into action, efficiently cleaning the streets.
Almost 42 tons of trash were gathered after this year’s festivities.
The clean-up also included clothing that marchers had discarded along the way.
“On a different note, last year was cold and rainy, so there were significantly fewer people, yet we collected many heavy, soaked ponchos,” the official added.
This year, the department organized its own clean-up parade, deploying 38 street sweepers and 29 collection trucks to tackle the holiday mess.
Additionally, around 50 sanitation workers used hand brooms and backpack blowers to capture smaller bits of confetti.
In total, 188 workers were on duty, managing to clear the road within 90 minutes after the event concluded, with Central Park West reopening at 12:20 p.m.
During the parade, 34 balloons, 4 mini balloons, 28 floats, 33 clown groups, and 11 marching bands filled the streets of New York.
Usually, the parade attracts over 3.5 million people in the city and more than 50 million viewers watching from home.
