Single Stream Recycling Here For Some
In July the Board of Aldermen passed ordinance 68698. Â From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Saturday July 3, 2010:
” A new city trash fee passed the Board of Aldermen on Friday and was signed into law by Mayor Francis Slay. It will cost most homeowners $11 a month, or $132 per year, and includes new, single-stream recycling bins – for cardboard, plastic, glass and more – for the first time.”
City residents haven’t had specific fees for trash collection before so suddenly paying $11 per unit came as a shock but the promise of city-wide single stream recycling made the fee easier to tolerate. Â The fee would be added onto the existing water bill. Â For those with multi-family buildings the fee can add up quickly.
The water bill is invoiced in arrears, after you’ve had water service. Residents now have their bills with the trash fee for July-October. Â But only three (8, 15, 28) of our 28 wards have the promised recycling bins in their alleys. Â Nine wards (1,2,3,4, 18, 20, 22, 26, 27) won’t get recycling bins in the alley. Â These wards, per their aldermen, will get collection points only — groupings of recycling bins. Â Waelterman as quoted in the same P-D article:
“Dumpster-style recycling bins will probably begin arriving in city alleys this fall. The city is bidding out contracts on the bins now. Bins will be citywide by year’s end. A few neighborhoods – if requested by the ward’s alderman, or neighbors – will not get them.”
So the news that not all wards would get convenient recycling bins in their alley is not new. Â The reason is money — these aldermen didn’t want to spend the funds necessary to buy the bins.
Those who use roll-out containers for trash will get blue roll outs, but it will be the end of March 2011 before the entire city has recycling. Â So some will have paid for 9 months ($99) of recycling before getting recycling.
To address growing unrest the city held a press conference last week.
The press conference was held in the mayor’s office at city hall. Â Here is the press conference with Mayor Slay, President of the Board of Aldermen Lewis Reed and Director of Streets Todd Waelterman:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tulJpEQ0sd4
The following is the Q&A:
My condo association pays for private trash & recycling collection so the $11/month fee doesn’t impact me. Â But I’m guessing many of you are now paying this fee but the corresponding service won’t arrive until next year. Â Please share your thoughts on the fee and the process in the comments below.
– Steve Patterson
in the 9th ward, we were told that not everyone in our ward will be getting recycling. only the portion in soulard and the “upper triangle” of marine villa that is in the Benton Park Historic District. Fortunately, that includes me, but if it didn't, i'd be seriously upset and would protest the $11. As is, I'm pretty annoyed at how poorly the city is handling the transition.
Thanks for the update. I was expecting to see a dumpster in my alley by now, but none has shown up. We've had (and used) curbside recycling for years, and as long as that continues (with no additional bill), I'm happy. But this is obviously going to get worse before it gets better. I understand the city needs money, but to promise a service for a fee, then not deliver as promised, for months, is simply fraud!
I emailed my alderman, Fred Heitert in early September, and here is his response.
Hi Joseph,
YES, the entire 12th Ward is participating in the recycling program.
The new blue alley dumpsters should be added later this year.
Please let me know how the new program is working out.
Have a great day.
Fred
I have yet to see them, and I plan to follow up soon on this email, to see when he thinks the dumpsters will show up.
I've also been pretty underwhelmed with how the city is presenting the recycling program, from both functional and marketing/informational perspectives. I'm surprised that they've really only just begun discussing the specifics of their plan for implementing the recycling bins. I've been seeing occasional tweets from Ald. Kacie Starr-Triplett about her attempts to get information, the biggest yield of which seems to be convincing Todd Waeltermann to get on Twitter (@STLStreets), which has produced precisely nine tweeted updates.
Now that they've finally released their “plan” (link below), I'm struck by how little it resembles an actual plan. Instead, it highlights the 3 phases already completed or underway, mentions 4 slated to be begun soon, and is otherwise colored with a big brushstroke of “TBD.” I don't really mind waiting a few months for my recycling service, but I'd like to know that the city at least has a plan.
http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/recycle/alleycurbdumpstercartresrec.html#Ward%20Update
Lots of confusion here in Ward 10, currently we are using roll out carts. Why should city residents pay the 11 dollars a month for a service that we most liekly wont see for several months. When the city provides the service, Ill gladly pay for the recycling program. Until that happens I dont think we should be paying for it until they actually appear on the alley.
Paying for services you're not receiving? I smell a class action suit!
I like the IDEA of the bins, but have a few reservations. They will certainly make recycling easier for me. I live in a small house and don't have a good space to collect recyclables; as a result, I end up throwing away some items that could have been recycled because my containers are overflowing and I don't have time to load up the car and drive to a recycling center.
But, I'm wondering if the lids will be secure or if anyone will be able to open them up and scrounge around. There are a lot of dumpster divers in my neighborhood, some of whom tend to leave trash in the alley when they rummage through the bins.
Secondly, I live on a short block with mostly single-family homes and one or two duplexes, with parking off the alley. We do not have roll-out garbage bins, and already we have four regular dumpsters and two yard waste dumpsters in the alley. One of them is directly behind my garage. I do not know how they are going to place the recycling bins so that they don't block driveways or garages. There is already a yard waste dumpster directly behind my garage (which currently is not a problem because it's a 2-car garage and I only have 1 car).
I noticed on the recent water bill the $11/month charge. There's a problem. The bill shows 3 months @ $11/ month with the total charge of $44. Shouldn't it be $33?
Is it true one black alderman believes his constituents are not intelligent enough to properly use the recycle bins?
Is it also true the aldermen in North St Louis would rather make their constituents pay for a service they won't be receiving and if so whar are these aldermen doing with the money designated for recycle bins? is this another rip off the constituents scheme? If we pay full price shouldn't we receive full service? I will be contacting my alderwoman to let her know I should receive a blue bin. I alrreadyl received notice from the ater department about the increase.
Ivory Metal
From my alderman: “Curbside Recycling Cost-Sharing Pilot Program
To Be Terminated
The City of St. Louis sincerely appreciates your efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle by subscribing to the Curbside Bin Recycling Cost-Sharing Pilot Program.
Because the City's grant that provided the Curbside Recycling Cost-Sharing Pilot Program will run out in November, the cost-sharing program will be discontinued on November 30, 2010. If residents wish to continue this service, they must pay the full cost charged by the contractor.
Please note, the City's solid waste services will eventually include City-wide recycling – and the first single-stream recycling containers have already started to appear in neighborhoods containing the highest concentration of residents participating in the cost-sharing pilot program. This new recycling service will be phased in gradually throughout the City. Wards 28, 8, 15, 23, and 24 will be among the first to receive blue recycling containers in alleys and additional recycling rollcarts. We anticipate knowing in late November or early December which wards will next receive the service. Details and development progress will be posted on our website at http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/recycle/alleycurbdumpstercartresrec.html.
Meanwhile, please note that we also offer City residents the use of 27+ drop-off recycling sites. Visit http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/recycle/documents/locations.htm to find the most convenient drop-off site.
If you live in a ward that will not be one of the first to receive recycling service – or if you prefer curbside service – you may still have the option of continuing service through Earth Circle Recycling. You are encouraged to contact Earth Circle Recycling directly via email (earthcirclerecycling@earthcirclerecycling.com) or phone (314.664.1450). Visit their website at http://www.earthcirclerecycling.com for more information.
Earth Circle Recycling is locally and independently owned and has been providing curbside recycling service in the City since the 1990s. They have been an excellent partner in making our City cleaner and greener.
During the week of October 25, 2010, residents who are currently subscribed to the Curbside Recycling Cost-Sharing Pilot Program will begin receiving letters of explanation via U.S. Mail. The letter is printed on pink paper and will be enclosed along with an invoice from Earth Circle Recycling, giving residents the opportunity to continue service with Earth Circle Recycling, by contracting directly with them. A copy of the letter is posted at http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/recycle/documents/termination.doc (Word) or http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/recycle/documents/termination.pdf (PDF).”
From my alderman: “Curbside Recycling Cost-Sharing Pilot Program
To Be Terminated
The City of St. Louis sincerely appreciates your efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle by subscribing to the Curbside Bin Recycling Cost-Sharing Pilot Program.
Because the City's grant that provided the Curbside Recycling Cost-Sharing Pilot Program will run out in November, the cost-sharing program will be discontinued on November 30, 2010. If residents wish to continue this service, they must pay the full cost charged by the contractor.
Please note, the City's solid waste services will eventually include City-wide recycling – and the first single-stream recycling containers have already started to appear in neighborhoods containing the highest concentration of residents participating in the cost-sharing pilot program. This new recycling service will be phased in gradually throughout the City. Wards 28, 8, 15, 23, and 24 will be among the first to receive blue recycling containers in alleys and additional recycling rollcarts. We anticipate knowing in late November or early December which wards will next receive the service. Details and development progress will be posted on our website at http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/recycle/alleycurbdumpstercartresrec.html.
Meanwhile, please note that we also offer City residents the use of 27+ drop-off recycling sites. Visit http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/recycle/documents/locations.htm to find the most convenient drop-off site.
If you live in a ward that will not be one of the first to receive recycling service – or if you prefer curbside service – you may still have the option of continuing service through Earth Circle Recycling. You are encouraged to contact Earth Circle Recycling directly via email (earthcirclerecycling@earthcirclerecycling.com) or phone (314.664.1450). Visit their website at http://www.earthcirclerecycling.com for more information.
Earth Circle Recycling is locally and independently owned and has been providing curbside recycling service in the City since the 1990s. They have been an excellent partner in making our City cleaner and greener.
During the week of October 25, 2010, residents who are currently subscribed to the Curbside Recycling Cost-Sharing Pilot Program will begin receiving letters of explanation via U.S. Mail. The letter is printed on pink paper and will be enclosed along with an invoice from Earth Circle Recycling, giving residents the opportunity to continue service with Earth Circle Recycling, by contracting directly with them. A copy of the letter is posted at http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/recycle/documents/termination.doc (Word) or http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/recycle/documents/termination.pdf (PDF).”
Our alley recycling bin arrived last week. It seems to be more than adequate, and it will be easier than remebering to drag out the old blue bin for curbside recycling every week or two. And FYI, the top is not secure, but it is heavy, so it'll be interesting to see how well it discourages dumpster divers looking for aluminum cans.