Put Waste to Work is a framework and website developed by WXY in collaboration with the Center for Zero Waste Design. It brings a design lens to one of the most familiar parts of city life. Trash, where it goes, and how it shapes the public realm.

The site begins with a straightforward observation. Waste is not invisible infrastructure. It occupies sidewalks, competes for curb space, and quietly influences how streets feel and function every day. Put Waste to Work makes these relationships visible, showing how sanitation systems intersect with buildings, streets, and neighborhoods in ways that are often overlooked until they become unavoidable.

Rather than offering a single proposal, the site organizes waste into a clear, interconnected framework. Materials circulate so reuse comes before disposal. Waste is contained so it takes up less space and creates fewer conflicts at the curb. Organic material is composted so it returns value to the city through healthier soils and greener public spaces. The power of the site lies in how these ideas reinforce one another. Each strategy gains strength when it is understood as part of a larger system.

That systems thinking connects directly to WXY’s broader public realm work. Across streetscapes, corridors, waterfronts, and civic spaces, the studio approaches infrastructure as something people encounter every day, not something hidden from view. Projects that rethink curb space, pedestrian movement, and shared streets rely on the same premise that underpins Put Waste to Work. Design decisions shape behavior. Small spatial choices accumulate. When systems align, public space becomes easier to use and more generous in spirit.

Put Waste to Work feels timely because it provides a clear framework for continuing work already underway across the city. Containerization continues to expand. Organics programs evolve. Attention to curb management grows more intentional. The site helps connect these efforts, framing them not as isolated initiatives but as pieces of a public realm that can be designed with clarity and care.

The project also reflects how WXY works collaboratively, drawing on a wide network of architects, planners, advocates, and former leaders connected to the New York City Department of Sanitation. That range of perspectives gives the work credibility while keeping it flexible and adaptable.

Put Waste to Work does not aim to resolve waste in one stroke. It offers a way of seeing. By treating sanitation as part of the public realm, the site reframes a daily reality as a design opportunity. In a city shaped by how well its systems meet the street, that shift in perspective is not abstract. It is practical, actionable, and still very much in play.

Explore the full site at Put Waste To Work