Over the course of more than three decades, DSNY sanitation worker Nelson Molina rescued tens of thousands of objects from the garbage of his upper Manhattan route, creating one of the world’s largest known collections of material reclaimed from the trash.

Now installed in an astonishing “museum” display on the second floor of the M11 garage in East Harlem, the collection serves as a profound commentary on waste and consumption. To see this sprawling collection in person is a visceral experience that challenges our understanding of how we think about and categorize objects as “waste.”

Two tours of the Treasure in the Trash collection will take place as part of Getting to Zero. Please note that, while Nelson Molina will be on-site throughout to answer questions and speak with attendees, tours are self-guided.

Open House New York thanks the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) for making this tour possible.

This tour is part of Getting to Zero: New York + Waste, a year-long series of tours and talks exploring New York City’s waste system.