When KC gets new recycling carts, what do you do with the old bin? Your questions, answered

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Star’s series “Talking Trash.” All of the stories were inspired by questions and concerns we heard from Kansas Citians through listening sessions, an online callout and other conversations in our community. Stories will run throughout April, and you can find them all here. You can share thoughts in the form at the bottom of this story, or email kcq@kcstar.com. We’d love for you to join Star staff at a community cleanup event this month (more on that further down).

Kansas City is introducing new recycling carts to nearly 162,000 homes starting in May.

There are still some questions about how the new recycling carts will work in comparison to the current open top bins, which residents buy from area hardware or grocery stores.

City leaders hope the new carts will encourage more people to recycle, ideally reducing the amount of waste that the city is sending to landfills.

“You see more people throwing things away versus recycling,” said Michael Shaw, the city’s public works director. “That’s why we really pushed for recycling carts, to increase the volume of recycling that we’re doing.”

The new, lidded carts will also hopefully help keep recycled items from blowing away from the curb and animals from scavenging through items before collection time.

“It’s not a secret that our curbside bins cause litter, am I right, or am I right? So you have to containerize that,” Shaw told The Star.

The Star’s readers reached out to share their questions about the new carts and how the program will work. Here are those questions, answered.

How will the carts work with street parking?

Residents will still be able to put their new recycling carts on the curb, even while cars are parked on the street, according to city spokesperson Sherae Honeycutt.

Each week, the city sanitation workers will roll the carts from the curb onto the street so they can empty them into the truck.

How early can I put my cart outside for pickup?

The recycling carts can be placed on the curb no earlier than 3 p.m. the day before the scheduled day of collection and no later than 7 a.m. on trash day.

“So, if your trash collection is Tuesday, you should not put your trash out before 3pm on Monday,” Honeycutt said in an email to The Star.

I live in an apartment, do I get a cart?

Each unit in apartment buildings that have six or fewer units will get their own recycling cart starting in May. So for example, if the apartment building has four addresses, that building will receive four carts, Honeycutt said.

How should residents store the new recycling carts?

In general, the carts should not be in front of the property or on the curb outside of trash day. Residents are encouraged to keep their cart behind their house, in the backyard.

Residents can also put the carts on the side of their home, as long as they are not on a corner lot, so the cart isn’t visible from the street, according to the ordinance on city collection.

Residents can also keep their carts in their garage or in a shed, if they have them.

Will there be fines for people who don’t put their cart back on their property after pick up?

The fine for not putting the recycling cart back on the curb after pickup or for not storing the cart properly is $50.

“Generally, we would not fine the resident on the first occurrence of a violation. We prefer to work with the resident and educate them on the rules instead of issuing an immediate fine,” Honeycutt said.

How can residents opt out of the new recycling carts?

Any household can choose to opt out of receiving a recycling cart if, for example, they don’t have space for it. To opt out of getting a new cart, contact 311 or download the myKCMO app to put in a request.

What should residents do with their current recycling bins?

You can dispose of them how you’d like.

If you want the city to get rid of your black recycling bin, leave a note on the bin that says “take with trash” and the city sanitation workers will grab it with the rest of the trash.

Can I keep using my old recycling bin with the new one?

Yes. Residents can still use their old recycling bin along with the new recycling cart, according to city officials.

“However, we would prefer they use the cart primarily. The goal of the carts is to allow people to recycle more, but also to reduce litter,” Honeycutt said.