"The problem has not been solved, but we have been working hard to remedy the concerns voiced by customers," said Elena Stern, spokeswoman for the Department of Public Works, which oversees the sanitation bureau. "These numbers clearly indicate that we are moving in the right direction."

Officials say the numbers do not offer a precise look at the number of missed collections under the new recycling program, which covers an estimated 70,000 customers and is known as RecycLA. For example, the city could receive complaint calls from three people in the same apartment building about a single missed pickup.

Councilman Mike Bonin, who recently called the rollout of RecycLA "a hot mess," said in a statement that he is encouraged by the reduction in missed pickup complaints. Still, he argued that the city needs to tackle the program's other outstanding issues.