Kirkwood to suspend curbside recycling; officials expect other cities will have to do same

[Sherman A1]

FYI - Kirkwood is a suburb of St. Louis located in SouthWest St. Louis County and is a fairly well to do area.

KIRKWOOD • Kirkwood will soon suspend its program of curbside recycling collection for residents, and officials say their city just might be the first of many in St. Louis County to take the same step.

The city’s single-stream program allows a variety of recyclables — such as plastic, cardboard, paper, and aluminum — to be placed in a single cart.

Bill Bensing, public services director, said in a memo to other officials that the city’s recycling processor had started charging the city $35 per ton for single-stream material dropped off at its facility. This is a complete reversal from the past, when the company paid the city $15 per ton for the material.

“This drastic shift in the single stream recycling market is largely due to China placing more stringent contamination limits on recyclable materials (from the United States),” the memo said. “It is thought to be the beginning of the end of single stream recycling as we know it today.”

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/kirkwood-to-suspend-curbside-recycling-officials-expect-other-cities-will/article_9cfbadce-cc6f-5b4d-a34c-cf449eae375d.html