urbanSTL

pattimagee wrote: ↑

Dec 11, 2025

^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.  

you're paying the same rate and you've added costs on driving to and from and the time you spent doing it that.  So yes, the city does save money but its a net negative for the residents.   Every car trip to drop this off that ends in an accident wipes out all the savings the City made 


Let’s leave car crashes a side

Assumptions
• 20,000 residents
• 2 recycling trips per month (24 trips per year)
• 30 minutes per trip
• Time valued at $25 per hour
• 3-mile round trip
• Vehicle cost at $0.67 per mile

⸻

Cost Per Trip

Time cost:
30 minutes = 0.5 hours
0.5 × $25 = $12.50

Mileage cost:
3 miles × $0.67 = $2.01

Total cost per trip:
$12.50 + $2.01 = $14.51

⸻

Cost Per Resident Per Year

24 trips × $14.51 = $348.24 per resident per year

⸻

Citywide Annual Cost

20,000 residents × $348.24 = $6,964,800 per year

Not considering the success rate that your recycling will actually be recycled. Increased from 25% to 75% while cutting cost in half. Also, the peer analysis revealed that residents are significantly underpaying for trash pickup.

The rate being paid is equivalent to garbage pickup and recycling drop-off. If you want pick-up back and at the equivalent success rate then the rate needs to double.

addxb2 wrote: ↑

Dec 11, 2025

Also, the peer analysis revealed that residents are significantly underpaying for trash pickup.

The rate being paid is equivalent to garbage pickup and recycling drop-off. If you want pick-up back and at the equivalent success rate then the rate needs to double.

That’s not relevant tho, what’s relevant is cost from a year ago to today. Not today vs other cities

dbInSouthCity wrote:

addxb2 wrote: ↑

Dec 11, 2025

Also, the peer analysis revealed that residents are significantly underpaying for trash pickup.

The rate being paid is equivalent to garbage pickup and recycling drop-off. If you want pick-up back and at the equivalent success rate then the rate needs to double.

That’s not relevant tho, what’s relevant is cost from a year ago to today. Not today vs other cities

Yeah, so a year ago the City was overpaying for a recycling program with terrible results. The only way to fix the program (fix being greater percentage actually recycled) was to either double the fee on everyone or revert to drop-off recycling. Doubling the fee is $168 annually per person of your analysis.

Either those who want to recycle “do half the work” or everyone pays an extra $168. Research on recycling reveals that low-income residents are less likely to participate. The equitable solution was to implement recycling drop-off locations for those who want to participate and improve service levels of general waste removal and lower rates for everyone else.

Trololzilla wrote: ↑

Dec 12, 2025

addxb2 wrote: ↑

Dec 11, 2025

and confidence knowing that my recycling is actually being recycled.

Lol no one's recycling in this country is getting recycled.

This is my fear as well.

Trololzilla wrote: ↑

Dec 12, 2025

addxb2 wrote: ↑

Dec 11, 2025

and confidence knowing that my recycling is actually being recycled.

Lol no one's recycling in this country is getting recycled.

Precisely... thank you for saying that. Recycling is a total and complete lie... It's not saving the earth; it's a profit-generation vehicle. Being green is not producing plastic to begin with... once it's made, it's here forever. You can "reuse" it, but it doesn't reduce anything. It's propelling the growth of our stockpile of permanent waste. Most American "recyclables" end up being shipped overseas. Other countries buy it in bulk to get it off our hands... our country pockets the proceeds...then that country tries to flip it and sell it again. Keeping it stored until it sells, or until it starts blowing around and polluting their own immediate environment. 

It's really plastic that is the issue. Paper, cardboard, glass and metal can be recycled economically.

Ebsy wrote: ↑

Dec 12, 2025

It's really plastic that is the issue. Paper, cardboard, glass and metal can be recycled economically.

Yeah actually, thank you for clarifying. I was speaking solely to plastic waste in my remark.