The City of St. Louis will end alley recycling services and expand its refuse collection program. Mayor Cara Spencer cited high contamination rates and high costs, with recycling costing nearly five times more per ton than trash and over half of collected recyclables being unusable, as per the City of St. Louis website.
To replace alley recycling, the city will increase recycling drop-off locations by 50% and double alley refuse dumpsters. Residents can continue recycling through the roll cart program and existing drop-off sites. Bulk pick-up and yard waste collections will continue.
In Fiscal Year 2025, the city spent about $1.7 million on recycling disposal, with nearly $634,000 lost due to contamination. Overall waste management costs $28 million annually, partially offset by $16.5 million in revenue. Refuse collection fees will remain unchanged while the city explores improvements to collection routes and equipment.
