Have questions about waste? You've come to the right place.
A: Once your items have been collected they are taken to a Material Recovery
Facility (MRF). At the MRF, everything is sorted, cleaned and baled.
The MRF then ships the materials to brokers or directly to manufacturers. The recyclables
are then made into new products, closing the recycling loop.
Metro-wide survey responses demonstrate residents desire a common set of
core services:
- Curbside services – trash, recycling, yard waste and bulky item pickup
- Drop-off services – recycling, yard waste, household hazardous waste (HHW) and community cleanup days
These services are often complemented with special one-day collection events for HHW, electronics, paper shred or other common reusable or recyclable items. Visit your community’s page to see what services are offered in your city or county.
A: Help us help you help people divert waste! RecycleSpot can connect
residents to your organization and its services. Get listed or update your
information.
A: You can make an enormous impact simply by making small changes
in your waste habits. Each of us throws away about four pounds of trash a day – instead
of tossing those items into the garbage bin, think about how much could be diverted
from landfills through reduction, reuse or recycling! And don't forget that the
3 Rs also have a number of other benefits for our community, the environment and
your wallet!
A: Indeed they are! Curbside recycling bins are often emptied into
a "packer truck" that collects both trash and recyclable materials and
sorts them at a processing facility. This process, known as "single stream"
waste management, is more efficient than sorting into several specialized vehicles
and allows a wider range of items to be collected. Think of it as "recyclable
ride-sharing!"
A: Recycling companies earn money from large quantities of recyclables
— tractor trailer loads — versus small quantities generated by an individual resident.
Revenues may cover the cost to process and ship a material but not necessarily the
cost to collect it from each household. The best way for residents to financially
benefit from recycling is "pay-as-you-throw" system similar to other utilities
like water and gas, where the user fee is based on the amount of trash disposed
and recycling is unlimited.
A: Empty and rinse all containers, flatten large plastic bottles and cardboard boxes,
and remove and recycle caps and lids. It's okay to leave labels on containers. Do
not place anything in a recycling bin that is not accepted by your recycling program.
A: When you buy items with recycled content, you're helping close the recycling
loop. Harvesting raw materials to create new products uses large amounts of resources
and energy. Materials collected through recycling programs are put to good use as
new products. Recycled-content products are comparable in price and quality to products
made from virgin materials. Look for recycled products with the highest post-consumer
content.
Learn more about recycled products >
A: Plastics numbered 1–7 can be recycled at most recycling centers
and curbside recycling programs throughout the Kansas City metro area. These numbers
are the resin codes that appear in the "chasing arrow" symbol usually
on the bottom of the container. These plastics include most food and beverage containers
and exclude most other types of plastics (sheeting, pipes, siding, toys, tools,
kitchenware, hazardous materials containers, etc.). Always call your hauler or recycling
center to confirm the types they accept.
More information about plastics recycling
>
A: One of the biggest reasons haulers can't accept
glass in your
curbside bin: glass breaks. If broken glass gets into a load of other recyclables
like paper or cardboard, it contaminates them and makes the materials unusable and
unable to be recycled. In addition, glass poses a safety hazard for the workers
who handle the waste, not to mention the danger of broken glass on neighborhood
streets or sidewalks. But that doesn't mean you can't recycle glass in our area!
There's likely a big, purple Ripple Glass bin near
you where you can drop off your glass bottles and containers, and they'll
help turn your glass into a variety of new products!
A: To successfully recycle something, three conditions must be
met:
- The ability to collect it.
- The ability to process it.
- An economically viable end market. Basically, companies can purchase that material
and make new products with it.
If any one of these three is not available within a region, the material cannot
be recycled.
A: We'd be delighted to! The MARC Solid Waste Management District
offers direct education on the 3 Rs through speakers, staffing for tabling events,
and a wide range of outreach materials.
Request a presentation today.
A: Sometimes materials just can't be reused or recycled. Those items can be
disposed of at local landfills and transfer stations.
A: Check out these organizations:
A: Landfills are not the appropriate place for hazardous materials. Proper disposal
of
HHW protects our waterways, protects trash haulers from exposure to dangerous
materials, lowers the risk for fire hazards, avoids potential poisonings, and reduces
illegal dumping.
A: While mobile events do not have limits, consider using a facility if you have
a substantial amount of
HHW. The KCMO facility has no limit; the Lee's Summit facility
has a 100-pound limit per visit. Proper disposal of HHW protects our waterways,
protects trash haulers from exposure to dangerous materials, lowers the risk for
fire hazards, avoids potential poisonings, and reduces illegal dumping.
A: "ABOP" means that particular event only accepts Antifreeze,
Batteries, Oil and Paint.
A: No, appointments are not required for mobile collection events.
A:
HHW includes combustibles and highly toxic substances; for safety reasons, facility
staff needs to attend to each visitor individually to ensure proper handling and
disposal of materials. Scheduling a drop-off appointment saves time by allowing
staff to prepare for accepting visitors' materials.
A: No – residents in participating communities can visit any of the events or either
facility in the regional program as needed. For safety purposes an appointment is
required at the facilities.
A: The HHW program offers year-round service. Residents can attend any of the mobile
events or visit the two permanent facilities.