As has already been hinted at - it seems you're designing simple attributes into separate tables. Newbie? Maybe that needs some explanation.
Databases aren't human and thinking about data should not be done simply as a human would see & understand it. Set theory is what underpins database technology, so it makes sense for your designs to be based on the understanding of sets.
Tables are for similar items - not for different statuses. The status of an item is simply an attribute of that item. It doesn't make it into a different item. In the same way when something is flagged for recycling than a simple Recycle attribute (or Field as we use in databases) in your table designed for that type of item, just changes its value.
You may find a perusal of
Database Normalisation and Table Structures to save you a great deal of time later on.