Extra trash bags cost more

As of yesterday, the cost of extra weekly trash bags has gone up from $2 to $2.50. The city made the change last spring as part of its budget, saying the rate change will help to offset the cost of excess trash collection, which actually costs between $3.50 and $5 per bag.

The city requires an excess trash tag be placed on each trash bag exceeding the two-bag limit. Trash tags purchased prior to June 1 will still be valid, and only one is needed per excess trash tag.

Curbside recycling is still free and unlimited and the city says residents can use it to reduce the amount of trash they have to put in bags.

Items you can recycle curbside:

• Office paper, junk mail, newspapers (without plastic rain bag), phone books, catalogs and magazines
• Manila folders
• Advertising inserts
• Brochures
• Corrugated cardboard
• Carrier stock (cardboard soft drink and beer cartons)
• Chipboard (cereal and shoe boxes)
• Paper/hardback books
• Plastic bottles with a neck #1 and #2 (look for the number inside the chasing
• arrow symbol), such as water and soda bottles, milk jugs and detergent bottles.Lids may be recycled, too.
• Plastic containers #3 thru #7 (look for the number inside the chasing arrow
• symbol), such as yogurt and margarine/butter tub containers
• Cardboard egg cartons
• Pizza boxes (No food)
• Shredded paper (in paper bags)
• Drink cartons
• Aluminum cans and other metal cans
• Clamshells (Deli or salad bar containers)
• Aseptic containers (milk, juice and vegetable cartons)

Items you cannot recycle curbside:

• Glass
• Styrofoam, including Styrofoam egg cartons
• Motor oil bottles and other automotive product bottles
• Containers for household hazardous material
• Paper towels, tissues or napkins, plates or cups
• Gift wrap
• Photographs, blueprints and hanging file folders
• Bags that contained pet food, fertilizer, charcoal or kitty litter
• Metal pots

Residents may recycle glass at the City’s recycling drop-off centers or at

Ripple Glass locations. Learn more at http://kcmo.gov/publicworks/recycling-drop-off-centers/ and www.rippleglass.com.

Household hazardous waste may be disposed of at the City’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 4707 Deramus Ave. Learn more at https://www.kcwaterservices.org/household-hazardous-waste/.

Many grocery stores provide recycling bins that residents may use to recycle plastic bags.

Excess trash tags are available at participating Westlake Ace Hardware and Price Chopper stores.

For more information about excess trash tags, or the City’s trash and recycling services, visit http://kcmo.gov/publicworks/trash or call the 311 Call Center at 311 or 816-513-1313.