Research summary
Research summary
Topic summary
Single-stream collection inflated public participation at the cost of high contamination, turning usable recyclables into refuse at the MRF.
Key research questions
- Investigate "How Much of What We Recycle Actually Gets Recycled?" from this distinct point of divergence: Municipal Single-Stream Collection and Contamination.
Important claims and supporting citations
A 2025 Atlanta City Auditor's report found that only 40% of glass placed into single-stream recycling is actually accepted for recycling.
Eureka Recycling's 2002 Saint Paul study found that while single-stream increased collected tonnage by 20.8%, it resulted in a 12.2% net decrease in tons actually recycled after processing losses.
In a Florida county with a 28.2% single-stream contamination rate, an official 58% recycling rate in 2015 dropped to an actual calculated rate of 41.64% after subtracting rejected material.
Only about one-third of US communities measure their inbound contamination rate, meaning the 17% national average reported by The Recycling Partnership is drawn from a self-selected sample.
Waste Management operational data presented to the EPA showed inbound contamination averaged 16% of tons, peaked up to 50% on incoming loads, and cost an average of $140 per ton.
Miami-Dade County single-stream composition studies showed contamination rising from 28.3% in 2015 to 39.7% in 2018 and reaching 48.8% in 2020.
The City of Houston eliminated glass from its curbside single-stream recycling on July 23, 2016, after glass had accounted for up to 18.7% by weight of audited loads earlier that year.
Glass-shard damage at the Shoreline Recycling & Transfer Station cost approximately $500,000 per year exclusively for replacing screen basket valves.
Outstanding questions
- Contaminants placed in Seattle's residential recycling and food-and-yard-waste bins exceed 9,800 tons per year.
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A 2019 national dataset cited by Oregon DEQ found inbound contamination was 17.67% for cart-based programs co…
A 2019 national dataset cited by Oregon DEQ found inbound contamination was 17.67% for cart-based programs compared to 12.67% for bin/bag recycling programs.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
A survey of 13 Alberta waste-management organizations found contamination rates of roughly 10% in multi-strea…
A survey of 13 Alberta waste-management organizations found contamination rates of roughly 10% in multi-stream systems compared to 20% or more in single-stream systems.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
Only about one-third of US communities measure their inbound contamination rate, meaning the 17% national ave…
Only about one-third of US communities measure their inbound contamination rate, meaning the 17% national average reported by The Recycling Partnership is drawn from a self-selected sample.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
A Hinkley Center and University of Florida study pooling 16 recyclable composition studies found a mean conta…
A Hinkley Center and University of Florida study pooling 16 recyclable composition studies found a mean contamination rate of 18.54% for single-stream systems compared to 3.89% for dual-stream systems.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
Seattle Public Utilities documented that residential recycling contamination increased from 4% by weight in 2…
Seattle Public Utilities documented that residential recycling contamination increased from 4% by weight in 2000 to 11% in 2020.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
An Oregon DEQ case study of an operating MRF recorded overall contamination rates of 15% for dual-stream vers…
An Oregon DEQ case study of an operating MRF recorded overall contamination rates of 15% for dual-stream versus 30% for single-stream.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
Pinellas County, Florida's contracting guidance cites an average residue rate of 27% for single-stream MRFs v…
Pinellas County, Florida's contracting guidance cites an average residue rate of 27% for single-stream MRFs versus 18% for dual-stream MRFs.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
A December 2005 R.W.
A December 2005 R.W. Beck study covering the Minnesota region reported a 17% residual rate for single-stream recycling.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
Delaware DNREC's 2020 municipal-recycling assessment applied an average 17% MRF residue rate to inbound curbs…
Delaware DNREC's 2020 municipal-recycling assessment applied an average 17% MRF residue rate to inbound curbside single-stream loads.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
Waste Management operational data presented to the EPA showed inbound contamination averaged 16% of tons, pea…
Waste Management operational data presented to the EPA showed inbound contamination averaged 16% of tons, peaked up to 50% on incoming loads, and cost an average of $140 per ton.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
Texas's 2019 Recycling Market Development Plan reported a 22.4% contamination rate at single-stream MRFs.
Texas's 2019 Recycling Market Development Plan reported a 22.4% contamination rate at single-stream MRFs.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
A dual-stream pilot program in Mill Valley achieved a residual rate of 6% to 7% while maintaining total colle…
A dual-stream pilot program in Mill Valley achieved a residual rate of 6% to 7% while maintaining total collected tonnages and customer participation comparable to single-stream.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
Contaminants placed in Seattle's residential recycling and food-and-yard-waste bins exceed 9,800 tons per yea…
Contaminants placed in Seattle's residential recycling and food-and-yard-waste bins exceed 9,800 tons per year.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, investigate
In a Florida county with a 28.2% single-stream contamination rate, an official 58% recycling rate in 2015 dro…
In a Florida county with a 28.2% single-stream contamination rate, an official 58% recycling rate in 2015 dropped to an actual calculated rate of 41.64% after subtracting rejected material.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
Yields of recyclable plastics drop from 75–78% under dual stream to 68–70% under single stream, compared to a…
Yields of recyclable plastics drop from 75–78% under dual stream to 68–70% under single stream, compared to approximately 85% under container deposit systems.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
A 2002 Eureka Recycling analysis in Saint Paul found residual/outthrow rates of 27.2% for three single-stream…
A 2002 Eureka Recycling analysis in Saint Paul found residual/outthrow rates of 27.2% for three single-stream systems, compared to 10–12% for four dual-stream systems and 1.6% for source-separated collection.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
Ontario's 2018 MRF-residue calculations recorded a 20.3% residue rate for single-stream material compared to…
Ontario's 2018 MRF-residue calculations recorded a 20.3% residue rate for single-stream material compared to 9.8% for multi-stream material.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
City of Houston Recycling Contamination Audits
City of Houston Recycling Contamination Audits
Labels: Inferred, Low
Glass Contamination and Processing Issues
Glass Contamination and Processing Issues
Labels: Inferred, Low
Miami-Dade County Recycling Contamination and Policy
Miami-Dade County Recycling Contamination and Policy
Labels: Inferred, Low
Adoption and Growth of Single-Stream Recycling
Adoption and Growth of Single-Stream Recycling
Labels: Inferred, Low
Miami-Dade County single-stream composition studies showed contamination rising from 28.3% in 2015 to 39.7% i…
Miami-Dade County single-stream composition studies showed contamination rising from 28.3% in 2015 to 39.7% in 2018 and reaching 48.8% in 2020.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
The City of Houston eliminated glass from its curbside single-stream recycling on July 23, 2016, after glass…
The City of Houston eliminated glass from its curbside single-stream recycling on July 23, 2016, after glass had accounted for up to 18.7% by weight of audited loads earlier that year.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
The share of U.S.
The share of U.S. recycling communities utilizing single-stream collection rose from 20% in 2005 to 64% in 2010, while multi-stream collection fell from roughly 70% to 34%.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
Of the 9 million tons of glass containers generated annually in US municipal solid waste, roughly 6 million t…
Of the 9 million tons of glass containers generated annually in US municipal solid waste, roughly 6 million tons (67%) are landfilled, largely due to single-stream collection contamination.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
A 2025 Atlanta City Auditor's report found that only 40% of glass placed into single-stream recycling is actu…
A 2025 Atlanta City Auditor's report found that only 40% of glass placed into single-stream recycling is actually accepted for recycling.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
Only 31.4% of 35 old corrugated cardboard (OCC) samples satisfied paper mill standards across all contaminati…
Only 31.4% of 35 old corrugated cardboard (OCC) samples satisfied paper mill standards across all contamination types in a Hinkley Center study.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
Eureka Recycling's 2002 Saint Paul study found that while single-stream increased collected tonnage by 20.8%,…
Eureka Recycling's 2002 Saint Paul study found that while single-stream increased collected tonnage by 20.8%, it resulted in a 12.2% net decrease in tons actually recycled after processing losses.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
Glass-shard damage at the Shoreline Recycling & Transfer Station cost approximately $500,000 per year exclusi…
Glass-shard damage at the Shoreline Recycling & Transfer Station cost approximately $500,000 per year exclusively for replacing screen basket valves.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
An ANOVA test confirmed at the 0.999 significance level that single-stream recycling contamination rates are…
An ANOVA test confirmed at the 0.999 significance level that single-stream recycling contamination rates are higher and more spread out than dual-stream rates.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
In a Hinkley Center study, none of the 266 tested old-newsprint (ONP) samples met paper mill quality standard…
In a Hinkley Center study, none of the 266 tested old-newsprint (ONP) samples met paper mill quality standards due to contamination.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
In 2021, the City of Houston stated that over 35% of the material collected in its curbside single-stream rec…
In 2021, the City of Houston stated that over 35% of the material collected in its curbside single-stream recycling program was contamination.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known
Houston single-stream audits recorded contamination rates of 17.6% in March 2013, 18.2% in January 2014, 22.8…
Houston single-stream audits recorded contamination rates of 17.6% in March 2013, 18.2% in January 2014, 22.8% in January 2016, 26.5% in April 2016, 29.1% in July 2016, and 24.9% in October 2016.
Labels: Inferred, Low, known
Miami-Dade County enacted a contamination ordinance in April 2023 with enforcement starting in 2024, permitti…
Miami-Dade County enacted a contamination ordinance in April 2023 with enforcement starting in 2024, permitting inspectors to open curbside carts and tag noncompliant recycling.
Labels: Source-linked, Low, known