What's in the trash? Annual Clay County waste sort breaks down contents of Moorhead garbage cans

MOORHEAD — Trash left on the curb contains a treasure trove of information about the garbage habits of Moorhead residents.

For example, around 14% of the material in Moorhead trash bins is recyclable, either on the curb or at a drop-off site. Another 37% is organic material. Clay County Solid Waste gleans the data from an annual survey of waste, where staff and volunteers sort through the garbage of 100 houses in Moorhead.

According to Mara DeRung, Clay County Solid Waste recycling outreach educator, the department uses the results to learn how it can reduce the amount of recycling in the trash.

“This waste sort, in a way, is very much like us checking in with the community and the city to see how well of a job we’re doing and seeing where we can improve,” she said.

The survey uses tra