Yahoo Finance Are you recycling responsibly in Kansas City? Here’s our ultimate guide
What can be recycled in Kansas City? And what happens to all the stuff that can’t be? We took a look at local recycling rules and compiled this guide to help you make sure your household waste ends up in the correct bin.
What can be recycled in Kansas City?
Yes: Most printable paper, cardboard, plastic containers and metal cans can be recycled in Kansas City. Many other materials, including glass, must be taken to special facilities for recycling.
No: Most mixed-material containers, styrofoam, coated or shredded paper, filmy plastic such as grocery bags, stringy items that can tangle machinery, organic materials and soft paper items cannot be recycled.
Here’s how to find out where to take a particular item for recycling:
Check this infographic to see whether the city’s curbside recycling program accepts your item. If it doesn’t…
Browse this more detailed list of how and where to recycle household items. If you’re still unsure…
Look up the specific item using Recycle Spot’s search function.
If your item is not listed anywhere in Recycle Spot’s materials, it’s probably too unusual to be recycled. However, you can check further by calling the MARC Solid Waste Management District at 816-474-8326. The Service Journalism team can also look into it for you: reach out to us at kcq@kcstar.com or fill out the form at the end of this article.
Pro tip: Most food containers are made of plastic-coated cardboard or other mixed materials that cannot be recycled. These containers have little to no resale value. The exception is coated paper cartons with plastic caps—the type that would hold juice or broth. These containers can be recycled because there is a market for them in the area.
“People need to remember that recyclables are all commodities, and their value goes up and down over time,” said Matt Riggs, a spokesperson for the MARC Solid Waste Management District, which oversees recycling in the Kansas City area. “[Each item] has to actually have a place where it goes and gets made into something new that people are going to buy.”
How does curbside recycling work?
The easiest way to recycle in Kansas City is to participate in curbside recycling pickup. In the city of Kansas City, Missouri, this program is paid for through your taxes and requires no registration. Recyclables are collected once a week on the same day as your trash pickup, and must be placed on the curb in a clearly labeled recycling bin.
The city collects curbside recyclables from outside houses and small apartment buildings with six units or fewer. Residents of larger apartment buildings or housing complexes should ask their building management where and how to deposit recyclable materials. If no recycling program is available, visit RecycleSpot.org or call the MARC Solid Waste Management District at 816-474-8326.
If you live in another city or municipality around Kansas City, check this search page to find out what curbside options are available to you. Recycling may be run by your local government, your homeowners’ association or a number of private companies. You might have to pay a fee for recycling collection.
Does all curbside recycling actually get recycled?
As much as 25% of the items sent to Kansas City’s material recovery facilities are not actually recyclable. Putting improper items in your curbside bin can contaminate a recycling load, and even damage recycling facilities’ machinery.
“There’s a lot of wishful recycling,” said Riggs. “It’s mainly plastic contamination, just people putting in the wrong types of plastic items.”
Plastic film like disposable grocery bags, which can damage facilities’ processing equipment, is a main culprit. Small items like plastic cutlery, loose bottle caps and disposable straws fall through gaps in recycling machinery, making them difficult to process. For this reason, these small plastic items are not accepted loose in curbside bins.
Another issue is caused by unusual plastic items like toys, housewares like a broken plastic broom, and other items that aren’t frequently thrown away or recycled. These less common items are often made from types of plastic resin with no resale value.
“There’s hundreds and hundreds of types of plastic that comes to the average business or home, and people don’t know the technical difference between this type of bag and that type of container,” said Riggs.
That’s why many hopeful recyclers throw all plastics in the curbside bin-- only for some of it to end up in a landfill. The best way to avoid this is to consult the graphic above before you recycle any plastic items.
How does recycling drop-off work?
There are three recycling drop-off centers in Kansas City. These centers are open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and are staffed by volunteers from Bridging the Gap, a local environmental nonprofit.
Any item allowed in your curbside recycling bin is also accepted at your local recycling center, Riggs said. The centers also accept clear, brown and green glass, as well as ink cartridges and scrap metal.
The Environmental Campus at 4707 Deramus Ave. contains both a recycling center and a hazardous waste facility. You can bring household and lawn chemicals, fuel, paint, batteries and other substances here to dispose of them safely. Hazardous waste is only accepted from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
Recycling centers outside of Kansas City may have different rules — find your local center on Recycle Spot’s website.
Where can I take other common materials for recycling?
Glass: The local organization Ripple Glass accepts all types of glass at its purple bins located around the city. There are also a number of private curbside glass pickup services you can sign up for.
Organic materials: Check out our composting guide to see how to compost food scraps, food soiled paper products, lawn clippings and other organic material. Larger lawn waste can be taken to Missouri Organic Recycling, which turns organic materials into mulch and compost.
Plastic film: Many grocery stores and other large retailers accept plastic bags for recycling. Avoid putting filmy plastic items in your curbside recycling at all costs, as it can damage the processing equipment at local facilities.
Electronics: You can drop off unwanted electronics in any condition at the Midwest Recycling Center.
Arts & crafts supplies: Arts & crafts supplies, including raw materials like fabric, can be donated to Scraps KC.
Styrofoam: Atlas Molded Products in Kansas City, Kansas accepts bricks of the type of styrofoam used for packing large appliances. Food-grade styrofoam, such as takeout containers and disposable coffee cups, is not recyclable and should be thrown in the trash.
Scrap metal: Some local recycling centers, including those in the city of Kansas City, accept scrap metal. If your local recycling center doesn’t, you may be able to sell or donate it to a scrap yard.
Clothing: Donate used clothing in good condition to Goodwill or your local thrift shop. Unwearable clothing should be thrown away.
Ready to test your recycling knowledge? Take our fiendishly difficult recycling quiz below!
If you can’t see the quiz above, follow this link.
Do you have more questions about recycling or sustainability in Kansas City? Write to our Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com and let us look into it for you. You can also submit questions through the form below.
