By Laura Spencer
Kansas City, MO – There are two times a year Kansas City, Missouri designates a no tag period for trash collection, where there's no extra charge for more than two bags: after the Fourth of July and after Christmas. The amount of trash generated over the holidays increases dramatically with discarded wrapping paper, cards, and ribbon, cardboard boxes, cans, and plastic containers. Dennis Gagnon is the public information officer for the Public Works Department and says Kansas City residents do a pretty job of recycling, but they could do better.
Dennis Gagnon: "At the present, the residents in our city are falling a little under 20 percent in what they recycle. And the statistics, as much as about 70 percent of our trash can be recycled."
Many cities in the metropolitan area, including Kansas City, Missouri, are also offering drop-off sites for Christmas trees. The trees will either be ground into mulch or used to improve fish habitats.