Second round of vouchers sent for Columbia trash system
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
People using Columbia's residential trash system can expect the next round of bag vouchers in the mail this week.
The Columbia Solid Waste Utility said last week its bag vendor, WasteZero, would send out the 26-roll vouchers for trash and recycling starting Monday. Customers can redeem those vouchers at several grocery stores in town or at City Hall.
Columbia's new "pay-as-you-throw" trash system drew criticism from residents when it started in February. People must put trash in city-logo bags for pickup, rather than normal trash bags bought at the store. The city offers vouchers for 104 bags a year, and charges $10 for a five-bag roll beyond that.
Solid Waste spokesman Matt Nestor said stores have redeemed more than 100,000 vouchers so far for both trash and recycling bags. Customers have also bought 15,000 five-bag rolls since February. Money collected from those purchases go toward things like employee salary, vehicle maintenance and paying for the bag itself.
"Our hope is that people will manage their waste in such a way that they can, you know, use the bags that come with the vouchers and not have to purchase the extra rolls," Nestor said.
Columbia residents ABC 17 News spoke to on Wednesday said they didn't have major issues with the voucher and bag system. Rachel Couch was dropping off her cardboard recycling at the recycling center on State Farm Parkway. She said she could live with the bags, but that a system of roll carts might make it easier, where people place trash in a solid bin that a truck picks up.
"It makes it so much easier not worrying about how many trash bags you have," Couch said. "It's a one-time thing, you drop those off and you don't have to worry about getting more bags or more vouchers."
City records show city code violation investigations over trash issues have increased compared to past years. An ABC 17 News review of complaints show 445 complaints investigated by the Office of Neighborhood Services from April 16 to June 16 this year. The city investigated just 35 such complaints in 2020 and 11 complaints in 2019. Leigh Kottwitz with the Office of Neighborhood Services said it added an inspector this year to focus on solid waste issues.
