Curbside recycling returns to Columbia Monday after a months-long pause which prompted a lawsuit over the issue.
Collection will happen every-other-week, according to Matt Nestor, public information specialist for City of Columbia Utilities. The pickup program will work the same way it did before the suspension, Nestor said.
Columbia suspended curbside pickup in May 2023, because of “ongoing staff shortages.” It promised the service would return by late June, but extended the pause indefinitely.
Columbia’s Solid Waste Utility isn’t fully staffed yet, Nestor said. There are about eight open positions the city is trying to fill. The city is using a temp agency to until those positions can be permanently filled, according to Nestor.
Columbia announced the return of curbside recycling in February. Utilities hired seven new workers, which allows the service to return, Nestor said. Utilities has 28 solid waste collection positions. 20 are filled, according to Nestor.
“We have enough [workers] that we can maintain the routes,” Nestor said. “It’s just, you know, getting a couple extra guys who can hop on and off the truck and pick stuff up.”
How does it work?
Recycling will be picked up every other week. Plastic containers go in a blue plastic bag. Fibers, like paper and carboard, will simply be placed on the curb. Utilities asks residents to break down boxes and bundle fibers together. Essentially, that means putting broken down boxes in one large box. Other fibers, like magazine or newspapers, can be put in a paper bag. Workers manually pick up recycling and load it into the truck.
“If all the boxes are laying around, loose on the ground, it’s less efficient, it’s harder for the workers,” Nestor said. “By breaking down boxes, and throwing them in the truck, that saves room in the truck for more boxes for, you know, everyone else down the line.”
When is my recycling pickup?
There are two collection routes, according to Nestor. The routes are the same from before the service suspension. The ‘green route,’ starts Monday March 18, and the ‘blue route’ starts Monday March 25. Routes are determined based on geographic location.
The City of Columbia runs an online portal where you enter your address to find out which route you are on. You can click here to access that portal. Recycling collection will happen the same day as trash collection.
How do I get recycling bags?
Columbia mailed bag vouchers for residents in January 2024, according to a city web page. Residents will receive two vouchers for blue recycling bags.
You can redeem vouchers for free at the following Columbia locations:
– Hy-Vee at 405 E. Nifong Blvd.
– Hy-Vee at 3100 W. Broadway.
– Moser’s Foods at 900 N. Keene Street.
– Schnuck’s at 1400 Forum Blvd.
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– Eatwell at 111 S. Providence Road.
– Utility customer service at Columbia City Hall
Vouchers can only be redeemed once and are tracked by a barcode, according to city utilities. New Columbia residents should receive a voucher within three weeks of moving.
If you did not receive a voucher, or would like to request additional vouchers, the solid waste utility says you should contact WasteZero, Inc. at 1-800-866-3954.
Could there be recycling roll carts?
Columbia started automated trash collection on March 4 after more than ten years of discussion. Nestor said there will “likely” be a conversation about implementing recycling roll carts.
That conversation has already begun. Columbia City Council members discussed a consultants report on the city’s recycling program with Director of Utilities Dave Sorrell in January, according to previous Columbia Missourian reporting.
Sorrell recommended maintaining a consistent rate and leaving the recycling program voluntary. That means if recycling carts are implemented, residents could choose not to receive one.
The city would need about $2 million to purchase 36,000 recycling carts, as well as between $560,000 to $800,000 per year to lease 10 or 12 trucks, Sorrell said.
As for voluntary recycling, cart costs would drop to around $700,000 and yearly truck leasing to around $450,000, Sorrell said.
Utilities needs more staff to handle recycling cart collection, Nestor told KOMU 8. The future Columbia Material Recovery Facility, where recycling is processed, is also a factor.
Sorrell recommended expanding the facility during the January council meeting, and repurposing parts of the facility to handle other materials like Styrofoam, electronics, and other hazardous materials. Any changes to the facility could impact collection down the line, Nestor said.
“There’s a lot of steps we have to jump – you know, get through before we even discuss [recycling carts].”
Is there a limit to how much recycling I can put on the curb?
There is not. Utilities asks that you rinse out recycling, like food containers, so it is easier to process.
Nestor said residents should not attempt to recycle Styrofoam, because utilities cannot process it. It also does not accept plastic film bags, hoses, and ice cream and milk cartons with plastic liquid-proof lining.
Recycling lawsuit
A Columbia resident sued the city in December, accusing Columbia of charging residents for curbside recycling without providing the service. Christine Gardener alleges the city breached its contract with customers and was unjustly enriched, according to previous KOMU 8 reporting. Gardener is seeking class-action status for the suit.
The city responded to the suit in February, denying it broke a contract with residents. It claims trash collection is not a service offered to residents. Rather, residents are “required to receive refuse service.”
Utilities is excited to move forward with curbside pickup, Nestor said.
“This is something we’ve wanted to be doing all along.”