Lee's Summit Proposes the Sanity Approach to Waste Reduction

Finally! The city of Lee's Summit, Missouri took a responsible approach to trash service by replacing an all-you-can-dump-with-no-free-recycling-option to a "volume-based" approach similar to the successful service used in Kansas City, Missouri. After the service is changed, then those residents who have paid $2.50 per month to trash companies like Deffenbaugh can rely on the new service for free recycling, plus get the satisfaction that waste will be reduced and recycling increased.
...the City Council directed city staff to issue the state-required two-year notice to all solid waste haulers providing services in the City that the City is considering implementation of a comprehensive, citywide, solid waste program.  The program currently proposed by city staff includes volume-based pricing for residential trash service with unlimited, curbside recycling at no additional fee.  Under this proposed program, residents would only pay for the amount of trash they discard; similar to a utility (water, sewer, gas, electric, etc.).  If residents wanted to pay less for their trash service under the proposed program, they could recycle more to reduce their volume of trash discarded.  The proposed program could also include volume-based yard waste services. [emphasis added]
However, adopting this sane, common approach to waste reduction is not without it's critics.

One report on KCTV5 shows an expected response from a resident opposed to the plan: "I can't say that I'm against it, or that I'm for it," said resident Don Green. "I don't have a problem with the trash people taking everything I have. I think with the city it will get more regulated."And this blog post completely avoids the point that communities have a responsibility to reduce trash and landfill space. Finally, it's all about the government placing "more and more controls"over citizens like this letter to the Lee's Summit Journal shows.

Lee's Summit residents: Support your local government's effort to take responsibility for the environment.
Location: Lee's Summit, MO, USA

Comments

Paul Zainea said…
It is good to see a responsible blogger talking about important issues in Lee's Summit.

To the point, I did not miss the need for the city to conserve landfill space, to recycle, and to control their infrastructure costs. My point was that none of these items had been openly discussed, and the single hauler option was a surprise to even avid political junkies like myself.

City Council must do a better job communicating ordinances of this magnitude to the public. The truly failed to so so - as evidenced by the number of "surprised bloggers, and letters to the editor".

However, having said that, I did give Councilman Whitley the opportunity to present the City's case to those who stumble upon my blog.

http://leessummitconservative.blogspot.com/2011/03/single-hauler-just-because-you-can-does.html

I found the Councilman's point of view well reasoned; from his perspective.

I think this is a debate that must be had in Lee's Summit. There are other ways to conserve landfill space without so deeply intruding upon the individual's rights - and certainly a better way to communicate and foster the debate.

Excellent blog.

Respectfully submitted,
The Lee's Summit Conservative
June 9, 2011 at 4:13 PM
kcmattquinn said…
Debate is good. What are the other ways to conserve landfill space that you referred to?

I realize there are many reasons why people choose not to recycle, including asserting "individual's rights." What about pay-as-you-go for trash hauling like they do in Kansas City?

Whatever those reasons are it does not diminish the need to reduce waste.
June 9, 2011 at 4:37 PM
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