Which categories of waste do citizens commonly separate for recycling?

To effectively manage waste through recycling, citizens often participate in source separation, also known as curbside separation. This process involves sorting household waste into specific categories before it is collected.12

Common categories for source separation include:

• Newspapers: Often collected separately from other paper products.1
• Wastepaper: Includes magazines and other paper-based materials.1
• Commingled Recyclables: Many communities allow citizens to group metals, glass, and plastics together in a single container.1
• Garbage and Nonrecyclables: Items that cannot be recycled are kept separate from the recyclable streams to prevent contamination.1

In addition to these categories, some municipalities collect household yard waste for large-scale composting. On a smaller scale, citizens may also manage organic waste by creating compost piles at home using kitchen scraps and plant residues.3

Proper separation is essential because it improves the quality of recovered materials and reduces the operational challenges faced by material recycling facilities, where further mechanical sorting occurs.14