The City of Kansas City, Missouri began delivery of 162,000 recycling carts that sets the wheels in motion to transition the city to cart-based recycling collection. This provides increased capacity for more recyclable materials, rolling carts for easy maneuvering, and a streamlined collections process. The project, which advances safer, more efficient, and equitable recycling access for Kansas City’s half a million residents is the culmination of nearly five years of planning and one of the nation’s largest public-private collaborations to advance a community’s recycling program.
The city’s current opt-in recycling system requires residents to purchase or use their own recycling bins, which can be no larger than 32 gallons. With the transition to 65 gallon carts, every household with curbside solid waste service will receive a cart, be able to participate in recycling and fully utilize all 65 gallons for recyclable materials. Additionally, the carts have wheels making them easy to maneuver and are lidded to keep recyclables loose and dry.
“We heard Kansas Citians’ requests loud and clear and Kansas City government is proud to deliver new lidded recycling carts, ensuring we can become a cleaner and more environmentally conscious community, while diverting thousands of pounds of waste away from landfills,” said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. “These improved recycling carts are yet another step toward achieving a clean and green city and reaching our goal of climate neutrality citywide by 2040.”
The 65 gallon recycling carts are the result of a $1.5 million public-private collaborative project between the city, The Recycling Partnership, the American Beverage Association, and Dow. Dow donated 1.2 million pounds of the plastic resin to produce the recycling carts, The Recycling Partnership provided program technical support, and funding support was made possible in part by American Beverage’s Every Bottle Back initiative and the Missouri Beverage Association.
With any recycling system change, education is a critical component to ensuring residents know what should be recycled, and how to best utilize the space and capacity of carts to recycle more material. As part of the recycling cart roll-out, a recycling education campaign will be launched for residents throughout Kansas City, Missouri. Many residents have already received a postcard announcing their cart will be delivered and cart distribution will continue throughout the summer. Further information will be delivered with the recycling cart itself to inform residents about how to use their cart, as well as what can and cannot be recycled.
Kansas City anticipates the delivery of 162,000 carts by August 2023.
As published in June 2023 issue of American Recycler.