Kansas City Trash Bins Get Bigger, Concern for Effective Recycling Grows

Kansas City, Mo. is rolling out new trash bins to residents to help prevent litter and other issues stemming from bagged trash on the streets.

Starting in May, Kansas City will deliver new trash bins to single-family homes and small apartment buildings. Those eligible should receive a new trash bin by October.

“These carts are one of several ways we are working to keep trash and litter off our streets,” City Manager Brian Platt said in an email. “Large, easy-to-move carts with sealed lids help prevent spills and leaks, with more space for waste in these bins than the current two-bag limit.”

Before, households were limited to two 40-pound bags of trash per week. Now, the new bins can hold more than twice that volume and three times as much weight.

Bigger trash cans could hinder how much households recycle, since they can simply fit more trash into their new bins. Kechia Smith, the director of environmental justice and organizational growth at Bridging the Gap, says the new goal for increased recycling is effective education.

“You give me a trash cart, and now I don’t necessarily have to think about recycling,” said Smith. “You may make it a little easier for people just to say, ‘Oh, I won’t do it at all.’”

She stressed the importance of education and community outreach, which could be billboards or flyers providing information on recycling.

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