5

Long Island’s garbage on the Mobro 4000 became a national joke. It was a joke with a message, though: Getting rid of people’s garbage isn’t that easy.

Upon its return to New York, the Mobro 4000’s cargo was eventually incinerated and the ash buried in a Long Island landfill. Since then, Long Island has dealt with its large volume of garbage by incineration (some off-island), burning some to help generate power, and increasing recycling. The garbage disposal challenge faced by Long Islanders has been repeated in many places around the country. The experience has helped people better understand how much garbage they generate and how it is disposed of.