How much refuse and recycling is collected by the New York City Department of Sanitation?

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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 starting in May of 1993.

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 of 2021, and then making an anemic comeback .

 Scroll left to take a closer look at what New Yorkers recycled each month since 1993.

"Multiple metrics help us understand the City’s recycling achievements in residential collections. The weight of Paper and MGP collected in recycling trucks identifies absolute quantities recycled. The “capture rate” is the percentage of all Paper and MGP that is properly separated for recycling as opposed to discarded as Refuse. Capture rates identify the latent potential to recycle more. Finally, contamination rates measure unwanted materials in curbside recycling.