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Refuse, Recycling, and Organics collected by the NYC Dept. of Sanitation

This pie chart shows that it is possible to recycle two thirds of our waste in the New York City Recycling Program. The bar charts below show that we only recycle 17% of what can be recycled. We have a ways to go.

Hint: Mouse over the bars and scroll to the right.

This chart shows how much refuse and recycling the New York City Department of Sanitation collects each month from residents, nonprofits, schools, and NYC government buildings from 1990 to the present.

———- Black bars represent tons of waste that are collected each month. 

———- Green bars represent tons of recycled paper that are collected each month. 

———- Blue bars represent tons of metal, glass, plastic, and beverage cartons that are collected each month. 

———- Orange bars represent tons of organics that are collected from residents each month.

———- Yellow bars represent tons of organics that are collected form schools each month.

———- Brown bars represent tons of leaves that are collected each month.

As you scroll to the right you will see the amount of recycled metal, glass, plastic and paper that were collected since 1993.

Observe that in July of 2002 the blue bar disappears when the city stopped collecting glass and plastic. It reappears in April 2004 when collections resumed.

In May 2013 residential organics makes its appearance, rising modestly until May 2020 when organics collection was suspended until July 2021 when it starts to make a comeback.

Scroll right to take a closer look at how much waste New Yorkers produced and how much was recycled each month since 1993.

To see the raw data including waste and recycling data for each community district, use the arrow keys to  scroll all the way to to the right, click the three dots in the upper right corner.

 

Compare how much Paper, Metal Glass Plastic & Beverage Carton, and Organics Recycling Streams