St. Louis is ending its alley recycling program due to high contamination rates and rising costs. City officials say much of the material collected was not recyclable, sometimes exceeding half, which increased disposal costs, St. Louis Today reports.
Residents will need to use city recycling drop-off sites, as the blue alley dumpsters will be converted for trash collection. FOX 2 Now reports that city staff hours from the recycling program will be redirected to improve trash services, which have faced delays and accumulation issues.
The city is also reviewing other recycling options. First Alert 4 reports that the program cost the city about $9 million annually, and officials are considering expanding drop-off locations and exploring roll cart programs to improve recycling efficiency.
