Aluminum cans have a low rate of capture in NYC, report says.

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At a Glance

Only about 44 percent of New York City's recyclables are captured.Cardboard and glass remain the most recycled materials.

As much as 56 percent of New York City's recyclables wind up in landfills, according to a .

A review of the Department of Sanitation's 2013 Residential Waste Characterization study showed that many of the recyclables head to the landfill primarily because people are placing them in the wrong bins or throwing them in with the rest of the trash.

The report says the city has three solid waste streams: refuse, paper recycling, and metal/glass/plastic recycling.

"Overall, about 44 percent of recyclable material is "captured" by city recycling programs with the remainder sent to landfills," according to the report, which was compiled by Daniel Huber."A lot of recyclables are thrown in the wrong bins – aluminum cans, for example, tossed in with regular trash. As a result, the capture rate for each of the recyclable materials varies widely, from as low as 5 percent to as high as 75 percent. Material that ends up in the refuse stream or the wrong recycling stream is not recycled. In fact, such 'contamination' makes recycling more expensive."

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Glass and Cardboard Have Highest Capture Rates

The most recycled materials in NYC are glass and cardboard. Green glass has the highest capture rate of any recyclable, with a rate of 75 percent. The study notes that glass hasa long history of being recycled and the public's awareness is high, so people are more likely to place glass materials in a recycle bin.

Cardboard is another that ranks high, with a capture rate of 71 percent. Again, the long history of paper and cardboard recycling has people aware and willing to put it in its proper bin. Another incentive is that commodity prices of paper exceedthe cost of processing, which means the city is paid to recycle paper.

Cans Lure Scavengers

According to the report, only about 28 percent of aluminum cans collected by the Department of Sanitation are captured in the metal/glass/plastic stream, and that low number is attributed to frequent scavaging of cans from the city's recycling bins. Because aluminum is the most valued recycled metal, scavengers tend to target aluminum cans, something the city likens to a criminal act.

In March, the city cans from recycling bins, according to the New York Times.

“Scavengers are putting the Department of Sanitation’s recycling program at risk by removing the most valuable recyclables,” said the video. “Nobody wants to be perceived of as picking on the little guy, but the lone scavenger is now an organized, sophisticated mob of scavenger collectives that systematically removes valuable recyclables,” it continues. “Recycling is the law. Scavenging is a crime. Don’t allow scavenging to steal recycling’s future.”

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Few Recycle Plastic

Plastic dishware, which includes single-use plastic cups, plates, and cutlery, has the lowest capture rate, with only 5 percent of the material collected entering the recycling stream. With public awareness low and because it was added as a voluntary category in 2013, many New Yorkers are unaware that they should be recycling these materials.

De Blasio's Landfill Plan

In April 2015, Mayor Bill De Blasio sent to landfill by 2030.

According to Columbia University's Earth Institute, New York City has no landfills and produces more than 33 million tons of waste annually — more than any other city in the country. It also produces more than many that are more populous, including Japan.

The plan, which includes curbside, single-stream and organics recycling, zero waste schools and expanded recycling opportunities in public housing, also calls for an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and an additional 90 percent reduction in commercial waste contributions to landfills.

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