This article has a lot of details and links about recycling in Philadelphia, including a quiz on what is recyclable and what isn’t. I don’t think the message gets through to the public very well overall, although there is a clear list here (how about a poster guys?). It’s a fairly impressive process though – single stream and somewhat automated but there is still a lot of human labor and judgment involved in the collection process. It’s a pretty massive effort when you think that they do this for every street and all half a million households or so in the city every week. I personally am amazed at the workers who get a recycling truck down my 7-foot alley, do all the sorting and collecting, and still find time for a few smiles, waves and honks for the children.