The city's Draft Sustainability plan calls for elimination of all alley trash services https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/d ... rev-sm.pdf
I question why Democrats lose so much, and then I remember that when they win, all they do is implement austerity and release long boring nonsense reports talking about climate change in an era where the country is being systematically destroyed and the state has virtually declared war against the city and its voters.
My brain doesn't let me believe that ending alley trash is actually a policy proposal coming from this administration. So I choose not to believe that until action is actually taken.
My brain doesn't let me believe that ending alley trash is actually a policy proposal coming from this administration. So I choose not to believe that until action is actually taken.
I like the alley dumpsters. I don't want to drag a roll cart one around and try to remember when pick up day is.flipflopju wrote: ↑Sep 24, 2025The city's Draft Sustainability plan calls for elimination of all alley trash services https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/d ... rev-sm.pdf
Jeez. If people think street parking is at a premium now, just wait until the streets are full of trash carts.
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My current house uses roll cart service due to street configuration and I hate it. Give me an alley dumpster any day.
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My Philly family comes to St. Louis fairly often and they always comment on how clean the city is and how they wish they had alleys so that trash wasn't everywhere the week after trash day...
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I'd assume the roll carts would be rolled to the alleys in neighborhoods that have them, much like trash cans were in the days before Operation Brightside. But I fail to see why this would result in less dumping, or reduced carbon emissions. It doesn't really change the amount of trash generated, just how it's stored and picked up, which seems at first blush less efficient to me. The dumpsters weren't liked at first, but they've become a much loved amenity. I'd hate to lose them. I'd really like to know what the theory is behind this. Just feels like more Spencer scrapping.
My bet is that this is the easiest way to get all the trash cans to be the same to make privatization much easier to do.symphonicpoet wrote: ↑Sep 25, 2025I'd assume the roll carts would be rolled to the alleys in neighborhoods that have them, much like trash cans were in the days before Operation Brightside. But I fail to see why this would result in less dumping, or reduced carbon emissions. It doesn't really change the amount of trash generated, just how it's stored and picked up, which seems at first blush less efficient to me. The dumpsters weren't liked at first, but they've become a much loved amenity. I'd hate to lose them. I'd really like to know what the theory is behind this. Just feels like more Spencer scrapping.
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^Possibly, but that doesn't explain why it's any more efficient. Though it would explain why Spencer wants to scrap it. Greenwash a project that's really just about private money.
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^my conspiracy hat goes on... the way it worked when I lived in UCity was you paid for your recycling bin and if it got damaged, you had to pay for you next one. So, I'm imagining they are trying to weed out who recycles and who doesn't so they don't have contamination issues, and then also they have a new profit center.
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Trying to find positives on rollout carts vs. dumpsters, would it prevent illegal dumping in the dumpsters? This is an ongoing problem in Fox Park, it wasn't in other neighborhoods I've lived in. Recycling bin would make sense and I'd be willing to pay for the service, those who care and want to recycle properly will, other won't take the time or spend the money. Privatization is not a bad thing in this case, right? The suburban cities all do it and it seems to work. The city claims it struggles with hiring drivers and refuse employees. Seems like time for a change, no?
I don't understand the knee-jerk reaction Americans have against the term "privatization". Sometimes it does work better.
Don't forget, nearly half of the major European airports are privately operated.
Don't forget, nearly half of the major European airports are privately operated.
I think that if privatization requires that we forgo the convenience of the alley dumpsters, then it is already off to a bad start.
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The dumpsters are great for homeowners/residents who want to get rid of tons of crap. Sadly, in reality, we have a problem with people coming into the city and dumping all kinds of construction waste. And, shoddy contractors working on homes in the city, dump their crap in the alleys/dumpsters. I'll take some photos of my alley tonight to help make my point. Further, in a high rental block where people are getting evicted on the constant, the dumpsters are overflowing. Wouldn't carts help resolve this issue? I'm not saying either solution is perfect, but what we have today and what we pay for is not working. It's been a mess for some time now.
Carts would help drive me out of the city as with most other policy decisions by the state and city in recent months.MarkGroth2020 wrote: ↑Sep 25, 2025The dumpsters are great for homeowners/residents who want to get rid of tons of crap. Sadly, in reality, we have a problem with people coming into the city and dumping all kinds of construction waste. And, shoddy contractors working on homes in the city, dump their crap in the alleys/dumpsters. I'll take some photos of my alley tonight to help make my point. Further, in a high rental block where people are getting evicted on the constant, the dumpsters are overflowing. Wouldn't carts help resolve this issue? I'm not saying either solution is perfect, but what we have today and what we pay for is not working. It's been a mess for some time now.
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OK, so move to Maplewood, Ferguson, Belleville or Creve Coeur. No non-permit dumpsters, no orange trucks, no contractor dumping, no chaos. I get it. But advocating for the same ole is so STL CITY. Nothing new, limp it along. Unions! People want this! We were great in 1950! We used to be able to do this! Keep on keepin' on. Keep on truckin'. It's totally fine. I usually want everyone to stay here and be part of us and a rational solution. But, I'm breaking a rule here by engaging with accounts like these, this one called "Auggie". But, hey find your happiness, move. Happiness/soul/peace means way more than proximity. Just don't sh*t on us worse when you move to the burbs in the County and have no true say. They are our worst enemy, not accounts like you who really seem to care even on a non-political level. Post script, sorry your politician for Mayor lost. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss... The STL blues are no joke.Auggie wrote: ↑Sep 25, 2025Carts would help drive me out of the city as with most other policy decisions by the state and city in recent months.MarkGroth2020 wrote: ↑Sep 25, 2025The dumpsters are great for homeowners/residents who want to get rid of tons of crap. Sadly, in reality, we have a problem with people coming into the city and dumping all kinds of construction waste. And, shoddy contractors working on homes in the city, dump their crap in the alleys/dumpsters. I'll take some photos of my alley tonight to help make my point. Further, in a high rental block where people are getting evicted on the constant, the dumpsters are overflowing. Wouldn't carts help resolve this issue? I'm not saying either solution is perfect, but what we have today and what we pay for is not working. It's been a mess for some time now.
Me: "The alley dumpsters are actually a nice ammenity and it would be silly to get rid of them, would be removing something that makes the city good."MarkGroth2020 wrote: ↑Sep 25, 2025OK, so move to Maplewood, Ferguson, Belleville or Creve Coeur. No non-permit dumpsters, no orange trucks, no contractor dumping, no chaos. I get it. But advocating for the same ole is so STL CITY. Nothing new, limp it along. Unions! People want this! We were great in 1950! We used to be able to do this! Keep on keepin' on. Keep on truckin'. It's totally fine. I usually want everyone to stay here and be part of us and a rational solution. But, I'm breaking a rule here by engaging with accounts like these, this one called "Auggie". But, hey find your happiness, move. Happiness/soul/peace means way more than proximity. Just don't sh*t on us worse when you move to the burbs in the County and have no true say. They are our worst enemy, not accounts like you who really seem to care even on a non-political level. Post script, sorry your politician for Mayor lost. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss... The STL blues are no joke.Auggie wrote: ↑Sep 25, 2025Carts would help drive me out of the city as with most other policy decisions by the state and city in recent months.MarkGroth2020 wrote: ↑Sep 25, 2025The dumpsters are great for homeowners/residents who want to get rid of tons of crap. Sadly, in reality, we have a problem with people coming into the city and dumping all kinds of construction waste. And, shoddy contractors working on homes in the city, dump their crap in the alleys/dumpsters. I'll take some photos of my alley tonight to help make my point. Further, in a high rental block where people are getting evicted on the constant, the dumpsters are overflowing. Wouldn't carts help resolve this issue? I'm not saying either solution is perfect, but what we have today and what we pay for is not working. It's been a mess for some time now.
Mark Groth: "OMG YOU ARE COMMITTING SIN YOUR POLITICIAN LOST OMG PLEASE LEAVE."
Yea my bad for being upset that all the bad things I said Spencer would do are happening. It's almost like she's same-old STL City, nothing new. It's almost like that's why Jones was the better pick.
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Mark - I listed Auggie as a “Foe” in my settings and life here on UrbanSTL has been x1000 better for it. Wait until he starts sending DMs - he’ll probably start with them to you after this exchange. It’s what he did to me. Best part is I won’t see his response to this. Nor can he message me about it. Just silence.
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We would still have an illegal dumping problems even if/when we go to rollcarts... that's not a problem because of the dumpsters. In fact, I follow a ton of trash pickup groups on Tiktok (I know so lame, but I love it) and most of them are picking up illegal dumping locations where folks just dump them in alleys on abandoned lots or anywhere that isn't being watched.
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I would argue that if there will be illegal dumping anyways, it would be better if it was at least in a dumpster and would get automatically picked up instead of sitting in an empty lot somewhere.
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What happened to the alley cameras and the trash task force? I remember in like 2012ish when I lived in Benton Park, they put up motion sensor cameras that took a flash photo of people in the alley. They could then use the photo evidence to cite offenders, contractors from IL dumping demo debris, tire shop owners, etc... Was that just a limited pilot program or were they deemed ineffective?
My 2c, I hope we keep the dumpsters. I hate the rollers, they complicate parking, and old folks can't easily move them around, so they just stay near the sidewalk/tree lawn and look, well, trashy. We don't have curb-facing garages like the burbs. Let's maximize our alleys instead, and hold offenders accountable.
My 2c, I hope we keep the dumpsters. I hate the rollers, they complicate parking, and old folks can't easily move them around, so they just stay near the sidewalk/tree lawn and look, well, trashy. We don't have curb-facing garages like the burbs. Let's maximize our alleys instead, and hold offenders accountable.
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Without dumpsters and bulk pickup the amount of trash on vacant lots and in the streets would skyrocket. Like it has in suburbs like Welston.
After seeing this, I consider ending recycling pickup a W for Cara Spencer.
Oct. 15 - Nov. 15 2025
Of 404 recycling tons collected, the total tonnage successfully recycled in our new system was 319 tons, costing $79,661. $249 per ton.
Over the same 30-day time frame in 2024, out of 972 recycling tons collected, only 373 tons were recycled, at a cost of $186,080. $498 per ton.
Sept. 15 - Oct. 15 2025
Of 292 tons collected, 222 tons were successfully recycled for $57,576. $259 per ton.
Over the same 30-day period in 2024, out of 846 recycling tons collected, 275 tons were recycled, but at a cost of $161,958. $587 per ton.
Oct. 15 - Nov. 15 2025
Of 404 recycling tons collected, the total tonnage successfully recycled in our new system was 319 tons, costing $79,661. $249 per ton.
Over the same 30-day time frame in 2024, out of 972 recycling tons collected, only 373 tons were recycled, at a cost of $186,080. $498 per ton.
Sept. 15 - Oct. 15 2025
Of 292 tons collected, 222 tons were successfully recycled for $57,576. $259 per ton.
Over the same 30-day period in 2024, out of 846 recycling tons collected, 275 tons were recycled, but at a cost of $161,958. $587 per ton.
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^however from a different lens... I am still paying the exact same rate for recycling/trash I had prior and have not any of the accessibility and/or service of recycling I had previously.
Though... if each ward gets more drop-off sites and those recycled tons become greater than the previous year's... I could change my view.
Though... if each ward gets more drop-off sites and those recycled tons become greater than the previous year's... I could change my view.