A Data Breakdown of NYC’s Curbside Recyclables

Approximately 28 percent of aluminum cans that are collected by the NYC Department of Sanitation are captured in the metal/glass/plastic solid waste stream. This low number is partially due to scavengers who sort through the city's trash and recycling bins for valuable recyclables. 

Plastic dishware, which is comprised of single use plastic cups, plates and cutlery and part of the rigid plastics family, has the lowest capture rate of all materials. Only five percent of plastic dishware is collected from the metal/glass/plastic solid waste stream. 

While plastic dishware may be at the bottom of the rankings, green container glass has the highest capture rate of all materials. The awareness that glass is able to be recycled has helped the captured recycling rate of green container glass in the metal/glass/plastic solid waste stream to climb to 75 percent. 

Cardboard boxes and related paper products also have a high capture rate, which can also be attributed to the awareness of paper recycling and the ease of recycling large foldable items like boxes. With a capture rate of 71 percent, paper is currently the only commodity that exceeds the cost of processing.