Crews clean up Times Square following New Year's Eve celebration

TIMES SQUARE Manhattan (WABC) -- An estimated one million people rang in the new year in Times Square as the ball dropped.

But after the big party came the big cleanup, as crews were out early Sunday morning to clear the streets.

By 7 a.m., sanitation workers were putting the finishing touches on the efforts that began just after the ball dropped.

235 workers hit the streets with 45 collection trucks and 60 backpack blowers, along with street sweepers and hand brooms to clear away the confetti.

The cleanup is a massive undertaking that last year picked up 44 tons of debris.

"New Year's Eve in New York City brings not only millions of people to the Times Square area, but also tons of debris," said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. "Thanks to a small army of Sanitation employees, every last piece of confetti will be quickly cleared away."

Dozens of 20-ton sanitation trucks weighted with an extra 15 tons of sand blocked off streets leading to the celebration zone.