Dexter's recycle bins being filled with unrecyclable items

DEXTER, Mo. -- The amount of unrecyclable solid waste going into the recycle bins in Dexter is causing problems for city officials. In the past week, city workers have seen an increase in solid waste that must be sorted and then loaded on trucks bound for the landfill at the city's expense.

City administrator Mark Stidham said a consequence of people using the recycle bins as a garbage dump could be higher fees to dispose of residents' waste because the city pays for it based on tonnage.

The city could also change the way recycled materials are collected. One option, Stidham said, would be to have a central drop-off location with a full-time employee overseeing what is dropped off. Another option would be to mount cameras at the recycle bins to monitor who drops off what. A final alternative would be to end the recycling program altogether, he said.

"We are trying to offer a program that benefits residents, the Stoddard County Sheltered Workshop and the environment," Stidham said.

"It would be costly to pay a full-time employee to monitor the recycle bins, and it would be inconvenient to residents who have to drive to a central location," Stidham said. "The purchase of video cameras to monitor the bins would also be expensive for the city."

A recent inventory of the recycle bin at one of the locations included fluorescent light bulbs, electronic equipment, yard ornaments, scrap metal and plastic.

The only plastic items taken are marked No. 1 on the bottom, which are primarily beverage containers, and those marked No. 2, which are bleach, detergent and milk containers. The drop-off locations have barrels at the end of the bins for glass, but that does not include light bulbs, mirrors or other home items made of glass. The barrels are primarily for glass jars and beverage containers.

Stidham said residents should help the city monitor these recycle locations by turning in violators. They can copy down license plate numbers of those using the bins as a dump and contact the city about violators.

"The problem continues to grow and the solutions are costly," Stidham said, "The service is a benefit to everyone when used as it is intended."