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Sustainability commission: Christmas-light recycling, glass totals and compost grant; county offers ‘oops tag’ recycling audit
Summary
The Webster Groves Sustainability Commission received updates on holiday-light recycling, recent glass-collection totals and a failed USDA composting grant application, and heard a county offer to pilot an “oops tag” curbside recycling audit to reduce contamination.
The Webster Groves Sustainability Commission heard updates on recycling and composting programs and on a county-run curbside contamination audit program known as the “oops tag.”
Staff reported that the holiday-lights recycling drive runs through Jan. 20, with drop-off bins at Southwest Park and the Public Works building, and that the city’s glass collection container was emptied after Christmas and yielded 6.34 tons of glass. "The bridal glass container was just emptied after Christmas, and we recovered 6.34 tons of glass," a staff member said.
On composting, staff said a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant competition attracted just over 100 proposals and funded roughly 26% of applicants; Webster Groves ranked about 30th in the high-priority pool and missed the cutoff. Reviewers praised the proposal’s training and waste-reduction elements but suggested larger class sizes and a stronger contract with the named composter. Staff said the city and partners — including consulting and community groups that worked on the application — will consider revisions if the grant reopens.
The commission also discussed Saint Louis County’s “oops tag” curbside recycling audit program to identify contamination in recycling carts. The county would provide two staff members and an app to record audits; the city would recruit local volunteers to walk selected routes on collection mornings (6 a.m. to about 10 a.m.) and apply informational “oops” stickers when contamination is obvious. County staff told the commission the county would be encouraging municipalities to apply for grant funding that could cover the program costs; staff said a decision on participation would probably be made in March and, if pursued, audits could run in June or July.
Staff asked for volunteers to help pilot a limited audit in a few neighborhoods; the county suggested the program works best when focused on a few routes rather than citywide on the first attempt and that follow-up audits about a month later show whether contamination rates improved.
Commissioners also discussed longer-term recycling outreach, partnerships with local haulers and volunteers, and opportunities to pair education work with school-based sustainability classes.
No formal motions or votes were recorded on these items during the meeting.
