Historical November–December 1998 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
An existing pilot program for the curbside recycling of household refuse in parts of St. Louis was expanded recently to include ZIP codes 63112, 63113, and 63108 in the Central West End along with two other areas elsewhere. Under this program the curbside recycling service, which formerly cost $72 per year for a household, is now available for only $24. Funding to pay the difference in the two rates has been obtained by the City of St. Louis Refuse Division as a $250,000 grant from the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District. Since the city must reapply for the grant each year, the low-cost service is guaranteed to the affected neighborhoods only for twelve months.
According to Linda Horn, recycling manager for St. Louis, the city could extend the service area to the entire city by making an annual budget allocation of $500,000.
According to Horn, only four per cent of household waste is recycled in the City of St. Louis.
She states that if only one half of city households recycled just their newspapers the total weight would be 9,600,000 pounds.
This would result in the conservation of 81,000 trees, save the energy equivalent of 2,000,000 gallons of oil, and free up 38,000 cubic feet of landfill space. Of special interest to Skinker DeBaliviere residents is the background of Earth Circle Recycling, the company contracted by the city to handle the curbside program.
In 1992 Jerry Witter, with a background in art, had a studio in the 6000 block of Kingsbury. Concern over environmental pollution motivated him to begin a small recycling business using his Toyota pick-up truck. Among his first and most supportive customers were residents of the Skinker DeBaliviere community. Shortly after starting his business Witter attended a meeting at the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Center where a spokesperson for the Refuse Division discussed possible recycling plans. Witter asked if a small business such as his might hope to bid on a contract with the city and was discouraged from doing so.
But hard work and determination began to pay off for Witter when he successfully bid his first municipal contract with the City of Maplewood.
He long ago replaced the Toyota pickup and recently received a grant to purchase more equipment.
In speaking of the contract he now holds with the City of St. Louis, he expressed his appreciation for city policies that allow local businesses to compete with large, outof-state companies which would tend to funnel money out of the community. Witter feels that he is serving his community both environmentally and economically through his business practices.
He uses local minority sub-contractors whenever possible, and hopes that as his business expands he will be able to benefit the community more in this way. Persons wishing to participate in the curbside pilot program should send a check for $24 to Earth Circle Recycling, P. O. Box 952800, St. Louis, MO 63195-2800, by the sixteenth of the month. Service will begin around the first of the following month.
The yearly fee may also be paid in two installments of $12.
A letter will be sent to each new participant with details of pick-up dates and materials which may be recycled and a blue recycling bin will be delivered to the household. Earth Circle Recycling also operates a recycling center for the city where people may take acceptable materials between the hours of 9 A. M. and 5 P. M. Monday through Saturday.
It is located just north of the I-44 bridge on Kingshighway. Through a mass mailing the city recently distributed an excellent, six page recycling guide.
If your copy is missing you may obtain one by calling the Refuse Division at 353-8877.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, November–December 1998.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1998_11.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 7; PDF page(s) 1, 6.
