Data can help cities tailor litter reduction strategies by digging deeper to understand its root causes. By conducting research that is specific to an area, data-driven programs or policy recommendations—and lasting results—can become more feasible.

As a part of my internship, I went on a field trip to the Staten Island Transfer Station (SITS), one of the most notorious landfills in the country. As soon as we entered the area, I thought I would be hit by a wall of overwhelming garbage smell, but much to my surprise, it smelled like grass and flowers except for when we entered the building where the garbage is dropped off.