COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Wrapping paper and gift boxes fill the local recycling drop off sites in Columbia, on Christmas Day.
Overflowing recycling bins is not an unusual site for Columbia since the recycling curbside pickup came to an end in July. The City ceased the curbside pickup for recycled trash July 8th due to staffing shortages.
Citizens have had to transport their recyclables to one of the 11 different drop off sites in the city which overflow often.
Steve Hunt, the Solid Waste Manager for the city of Columbia, says they’ve seen double the amount of recycled trash than last year.
“Since July, since we’ve had to suspend curbside recycling the use of the sites has essentially doubled. I was just looked at these, I was looking at some reports last week on the tonnages. During the month of October, I don’t remember the exact numbers but the tonnage is that’s how we measure the volume of that material essentially doubled from last year. So from 2019 to 2020 for the month of October they were used twice as much this year than last year.”, said Hunt.
Hunt said many times when a site looks to be overflowing, it is probably because an employee hasn’t gotten there just yet to empty the bins. Hunt also asks to help keep bins from overflowing that people make sure to break down their boxes.
“Well during the week my recommendation to them is, during the week if you’re there and they’re full, likely there’s somebody that’s going to be there fairly quickly. They’re emptied, the cardboard containers they’re emptied 4 times a day during the week. What would be the biggest help from the customers as far as the cardboard containers, is if boxes would be broken down. Often times what we find is large boxes that are not broken down and you put one of those big boxes and it takes up a lot of room. If people would flatten those boxes out and then put them in the containers and the dumpsters at the sites, we would have a lot better service.”, said Hunt.
The city is currently working on how to fix this issue. Hunt said they’re looking to possibly hire on more staff and add on other recycling drop off locations.
“Right now we have a virtual interested parties meeting that’s ongoing for a new recycling drop off site on Cosmo park property we’re calling it the parks management site, it’s right there on the business loop. We’re also evaluating additional city-owned properties on the north side of town. We’re hoping to get some of those projects kicked off. Of course, they’re not, you know those projects are in a budget so it’s a public approvement process, so I have to go through that normal approvement process, but we are looking at additional sites.”, said Hunt.
Hunt said the city is currently working on adding the Parks Management Site at Cosmo Park to create another recycling drop off site for the public.
In February 2021, the city has announced they will be making changes to the recycling and trash curbside pickup.
“Beginning Feb. 1, 2021, all trash placed on the curb for collection must be in City-provided trash bags with a City of Columbia logo. Customers will receive vouchers in mid-January (two for trash bags, two for recycling) and June (two for trash bags, one for recycling). There is no limit to the number of bags placed curbside for pickup, as long as they are the City-issued bags with the City logo.”
The city plans to require logo trash bags in order for trash to be picked up curbside. The city details how this new system is expected to work and what trash will be accepted for pickup on their website.
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