Thanks for being part of the Track NYC Trash community. Each month, we analyze the latest DSNY open data to better understand how New York manages its waste and how we can improve it. This update reflects our review of the most recent mid-month release and 2025 as a whole.
Insights from December’s data
December’s dataset, published on January 9, offers a fresh look at how our waste system performed at the end of the year. Here are a few trends that stood out:
1. The citywide organics capture rate declined to 8% in December, down from a record 10.8% in November. This dip might reflect a combination of seasonal factors, including holiday-related disruptions to waste collection, reduced yard waste compared to prior months, and colder weather affecting set-out and participation. Increased contamination and shifts in waste composition during the holiday season may also have contributed to the change. All five boroughs experienced similar declines.
2. Recycling performance strengthened in December across both major streams. Metal, glass, and plastics (MGP) capture rose to 47.1%, with more than 4,000 additional tons collected compared to November. This is the highest level since May, representing a 19% month-over-month increase in raw tonnage. Paper recycling saw a similar surge, with roughly 6,000 more tons collected, a 27% increase.
Importantly, capture rates also improved, rising to 47.1% for MGP and 48.8% for paper. Gains were not driven solely by higher waste generation during the holiday season, but also by stronger diversion performance. Even as total waste volumes grew, a larger share was successfully recycled, pointing to improved participation and sorting behavior.
3. Diversion reached its highest level of the year. Driven by gains in recycling and steady organics performance, overall diversion rose to 20.6% in December, which is the highest rate recorded this year and up from 19.1% last December. This represents a meaningful year-over-year improvement.
In total, 316,320 tons of material were diverted from disposal in December. The highest diversion rates were recorded in BK06 (Park Slope–Carroll Gardens), QN11 (Auburndale–Bayside–Douglaston), and MN07 (Upper West Side), each reaching the low 30% range.
2025 Year in Review
With the full year behind us, we can confidently say that 2025 marked a turning point for New York City’s waste system. Over the past year, steady improvements in participation, collection, and capture translated into real gains in diversion, showing what’s possible when policy and public engagement begin to align.
The most significant progress came in organics. The city more than doubled its capture rate, rising from 3.3% at the start of the year to 8.0% by December. In total, New Yorkers diverted 97,641 tons of organic material in 2025, with an average estimated capture rate of 7.4% (up from 3.4% in 2024). On a per-person basis, residents set out nearly two pounds of organics each month, an encouraging sign of program adoption.
Recycling performance also strengthened. Metal, glass, and plastic (MGP) collections reached 287,593 tons for the year, with an average capture rate of 46.1%. Paper recycling followed closely, totaling 299,517 tons and achieving a 45.5% capture rate. The average recycling capture rate increased by 2.5% from 2024.
Across all streams, NYC diverted an average of 19.2% of its waste in 2025, up 13.2% from 2024. In total, the city collected more than 3.5 million tons of waste, with residents generating an average of 17.3 pounds per person each month. Within that total, monthly per-person recycling averaged 5.8 pounds of paper, 5.6 pounds of MGP, and 1.9 pounds of organics.
While there is still significant room for improvement, the momentum built this year provides a strong foundation for continued gains in 2026 and beyond.
Dashboard updates
🐀 Tracking Rats and Trash: We’re building a new tool to monitor rodent complaints across New York City and analyze how they connect to waste management trends. If you’re interested in sharing feedback or getting an early preview, we’d love to hear from you.
📊 See Us at Open Data Week: We’ll be presenting at NYC Open Data Week this March, where we’ll share insights from our work. Stay tuned for details on how to join us.
Who we are
Track NYC Trash is a volunteer-led project of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Boards (SWABs), local advisory groups working to improve NYC’s waste systems.
If you’re interested in getting involved — or if you have feedback to share — we’d love to hear from you. Just reply to this email or contact us at tracknyctrash@gmail.com.
Thanks for being part of this effort. Together we can make NYC’s waste systems more transparent, effective, and sustainable.