DSNY Waste Characterization: Comparison Table
The Department conducted the 2017 NYC Residential, School, and NYCHA (NYC Housing Authority) Waste Characterization Study over three seasons: spring, summer, and fall. This study builds on decades of research and analysis into the evolving composition of NYC's waste stream. DSNY conducted previous waste characterization studies in 1990, 2005, and 2013. Each of these studies share a similar methodology of waste sampling and sorting but also included different targeted analyses to characterize particular components of the waste stream.
The 2005 study examined residential curbside collection of commingled paper and cardboard recycling (Paper); MGP (metal/glass/plastic); and trash (Refuse) that provided statistical results by housing density and income levels throughout NYC. The 2005 study also included a characterization of the contents of street litter baskets.
</p>The 2013 study surveyed residential curbside Paper, MGP, and Refuse collections providing statistical results by borough for the City as a whole, but not by housing density and income levels. The 2013 study also included a detailed characterization of discarded plastics, as well as food and beverage containers.
</p>The 2017 study followed the same methodology for residential curbside collections as the 2013 study but included residential curbside collection of organics waste (Organics), NYC's new service to recycle food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste. The 2017 study also characterized collection for both NYC public schools and NYC Housing Authority buildings to create a baseline view of waste generation from these sources. The 2017 study included a detailed analysis of plastics using the same method as the 2013 study. It also included a more detailed analysis of certain paper products.
</p>For more information about how DSNY conducted this study and previous waste characterization studies, see: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/resources/reports/waste-characterization
For information on NYC's recycling programs, see: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/services/recycling
Columns
| Name | Socrata field name | Column name in sgr mount | Data type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 Aggregate | _2013_aggregate | _2013_aggregate | Number | Percentage of a material in all combined applicable streams as part of the 2013 study. |
| 2005 MGP | _2005_mgp | _2005_mgp | Number | Percentage of a material in the metal, glass, and plastic stream as part of the 2005 study. |
| 2005 Paper | _2005_paper | _2005_paper | Number | Percentage of a material in the paper stream as part of the 2005 study. |
| 2005 Aggregate | _2005_aggregate | _2005_aggregate | Number | Percentage of a material in all combined applicable streams as part of the 2005 study. |
| 2017 Refuse | _2017_refuse | _2017_refuse | Number | Percentage of a material in the refuse stream as part of the 2017 study. |
| 2013 MGP | _2013_mgp | _2013_mgp | Number | Percentage of a material in the metal, glass, and plastic stream as part of the 2013 study. |
| 2013 Paper | _2013_paper | _2013_paper | Number | Percentage of a material in the paper stream as part of the 2013 study. |
| DSNY Diversion Summary Category | dsny_diversion_summary | dsny_diversion_summary | Text | Groupings of material categories based on how the material is collected and diverted, according to DSNY designations. |
| Material | material | material | Text | The classification of all materials in the waste stream into categories for sorting, weighing, and counting purposes. |
| 2017 Aggregate | _2017_aggregate | _2017_aggregate | Number | Percentage of a material in all combined applicable streams as part of the 2017 study. |
| 2017 MGP | _2017_mgp | _2017_mgp | Number | Percentage of a material in the metal, glass, and plastic stream as part of the 2017 study. |
| 2017 Paper | _2017_paper | _2017_paper | Number | Percentage of a material in the paper stream as part of the 2017 study. |
| 2013 Refuse | _2013_refuse | _2013_refuse | Number | Percentage of a material in the refuse stream as part of the 2013 study. |
| 2005 Refuse | _2005_refuse | _2005_refuse | Number | Percentage of a material in the refuse stream as part of the 2005 study. |
| Material Group | material_group | material_group | Text | Groupings of material categories used to simplify or generalize results. |