Nearly a year after St. Louis ended alley recycling because of widespread contamination, a city task force is recommending the biggest overhaul of the city’s refuse collection system in decades: replacing alley dumpsters with universal curbside roll carts for trash and recycling.
The 13-member task force, formed to study the city’s recycling system, recently released a preliminary report, tentatively titled “Bringing Recycling Home.” Its central recommendation calls for phasing out alley dumpsters and expanding roll-cart service citywide while allowing residents to request a second recycling cart at no additional cost.
The proposed system would provide “improved services and accountability, less illegal dumping, cleaner alleys, increased waste diversion, reduced landfill use, increased public participation and reduced recycling contamination,” according to the report…