In September 2005, OCRRA conducted a Waste Quantification and Classification study to measure the composition of two components of the waste stream: curbside recyclables, and municiapl solid waste, brought to OCRRA’s Waste-to-Energy Facility. Samples were sorted into more than 50 categories.

The 2005 study and similar studies in 1993 and 1998 have been used to affect decisions about OCRRA’s programs, such as expansion of the mandatory recyclables list and public education efforts. Additionally, they allow OCRRA to explore trends in the amount of recyclables in the waste stream and develop or expand programs based on the results.

Results from the 2005 study:

1. What’s in the trash?
2. What’s in the blue bin?
3. % of Recyclables in the blue bin
4. % of Recyclable Paper in the blue bin

 

What's in the Trash?

What's in the Blue Bin?

Percentage of Recyclables in Blue Bin

The following graph represents the % of the total material generated that ends up in the Blue Bin. For example, of all the recyclable paper waste created in Onondaga County, 66% of it goes into the Blue Bin (so, 34% of it goes in the trash).

Percentage of Recyclable Paper in Blue Bin

The following graph represents the % of total paper items generated that end up in the Blue Bin. For example, of all the newspaper waste generated in Onondaga County, 78% of it goes into the Blue Bin (so, 22% ends up in the trash).

So, where can we make improvements?
According to the graph above, only 41% of all junk mail is being recycled.

Please, remember to put your junk mail into the Blue Bin!