# Analysis: Omaha recycling efforts lag peer cities in waste diversion  
**Published:** 2026-04-30T10:00:00.000Z  
**Source:** [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/omahas-recycling-program-falling-behind-peer-cities/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/analysis-omaha-recycling-efforts-lag-peer-cities-in-waste-diversion

OMAHA, NEB. — While the City of Omaha has increased the amount of recyclable materials kept out of landfills, its recycling efforts remain stagnant compared to peer cities with stronger regulations and greater options for residents, according to a [Flatwater Free Press analysis](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/omahas-recycling-program-falling-behind-peer-cities/).

The analysis examined recycling programs across 10 cities used as comparison points by the Greater Omaha Chamber. Omaha's residential recycling program, which costs the average household nearly $200 annually in tax payments, has collected around 16,000 tons annually for over a decade. Since switching to larger 96-gallon carts in 2020, the city now regularly diverts over 20,000 tons of residential recyclables yearly, achieving an almost 16% diversion rate from the landfill, according to James Kee, the City of Omaha's environmental quality control manager.

But that falls short of more ambitious peer cities. Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and Boise, Idaho all offer curbside composting programs alongside their recycling services. Boise's composting program, which began in 2017, accounted for about 28% of the city's total waste last year, according to Talia Miller, the city's public works communications coordinator.

Cities like San Francisco, often cited as the nation's top recycler, have gone further. San Francisco implemented a mandatory three-bin system in the late 1990s and in 2009 began requiring all residents and businesses to separate their waste. The city has diverted 2.9 million tons of organic material from the landfill over three decades.

Recycling ordinances also shape waste diversion efforts. Minneapolis requires recycling services for both businesses and residences, including apartments, under an ordinance that took effect in 2011. Salt Lake City requires businesses and apartments producing more than 4 cubic yards of waste weekly to provide recycling services. Milwaukee, meanwhile, bans various materials from landfills and requires recycling at apartments and businesses.

Omaha's current program accepts mixed recyclables such as plastics, metal cans, cardboard, paper and glass, along with yard waste. However, [the city does not accept glass in curbside recycling carts](https://www.wasteline.org/recycling-collection-information/) because compactor trucks would break it, contaminating other materials and creating safety hazards for workers. Residents must take glass to purple drop-off containers at designated locations.

Rachel Garey-Jacobsen, an Omaha resident, uses a multi-pronged approach including vermiculture composting, yard waste collection and the Hefty ReNew program for hard-to-recycle plastics. "I remember growing up hearing about it, like, 'Take care of the Earth' and 'Recycle.' That kind of stuff," Garey-Jacobsen said. "So seeing it in practice in other places, I was like, 'Maybe it's not that hard to do it here.'"

Recent state funding has bolstered some local diversion efforts. In February 2026, [the City of Omaha received $375,069 to operate Under The Sink, a hazardous waste collection facility, and $27,970 for scrap tire collection](https://www.wowt.com/2026/02/12/omaha-recycling-waste-facilities-awarded-state-grants/), part of $7 million in grants awarded statewide for waste reduction projects.

## Sources

- [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/omahas-recycling-program-falling-behind-peer-cities/)
- [City of Omaha Wasteline recycling information](https://www.wasteline.org/recycling-collection-information/)
- [Omaha receives state grants for waste facilities](https://www.wowt.com/2026/02/12/omaha-recycling-waste-facilities-awarded-state-grants/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Flatwater Free Press, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://flatwaterfreepress.org/omahas-recycling-program-falling-behind-peer-cities/.