The salable articles recovered at a New York refuse disposal station.

Material Sold from 18th Street Yard in 1899.

Manila paper, pounds 461,385
Newspaper, pounds 905,301
Mixed paper, pounds 442,866
Strawboard, pounds 587,208
Mixed wrapping paper, pounds 635,136
Books, pounds 18,620
Woolen rags, pounds 18,617
White rags, pounds 41,450
Mixed rags, pounds 116,550
Black rags, pounds 200,495
Bagging, pounds 48,055
Twine, pounds 21,070
Soft back carpet, pounds 18,795
Hard back carpet, pounds 79,820
Wool carpet, pounds 3,915
Linsey carpet, pounds 7,180
Rough cloth and old coats, pounds 20,945
Stockings, pounds 4,600
Shoes (bulk), pounds 38,160
Shoes, pairs 1,435
Siphons . . 603
Siphon heads 21
Quarts 1,995
Lagers 18,759
Sodas 7,751
Weiss 104
Iron (scrap), pounds 80,800
Mixed bottles, barrels 350
Hats 2,100
Curled hair, pounds 765
Copper, pounds 4-94.
Zinc, pounds 2,090
Brass, pounds 1,607
Lead, pounds 303
Rubber shoes, pounds 4,712
Rubber mats, pounds 2,712
Rubber hose, pounds 1,255
Rubber (white), pounds 1,090
Hair cloth, pounds 400
Large bottles, pounds 64
Tin cans, loads 12
Excelsior, pounds 260
Bed springs 16
Mattresses 36
Brushes, dozen 1

See here how electricity was being generated from garbage over a 100 years ago, and the history of lighting from an 1888 publication titled, “Municipal Lighting”.

Source for this page: Joseph G. Branch, B. S., M. E., 1905, Heat and Light: From Municipals Waste, WM. H. O’Brien Printing and Publishing CO. St. Louis, MO, United States of America.