Commission approves MOU with Waste Management to launch cart-based pilot in two areas

The Public Works and Safety Standing Committee on March 24 voted to approve a memorandum of understanding with Deffenbaugh Industries Inc., doing business as Waste Management, to launch a cart-based residential collection pilot in two areas of Kansas City, Kansas.

Diana Miles, the county’s solid-waste manager, framed the program as a no-cost investment by Waste Management intended to reduce missed collections, litter and low recycling rates. Miles said Kansas City, Kansas’s curbside recycling rate is about 4%, compared with a state average near 33%, and that carts could help contain trash and reduce animal-scattered debris.

John Blessing of Waste Management said the company will supply and maintain 96-gallon trash and 96-gallon recycling carts at no charge during the pilot and will collect data during the test areas to advise a larger rollout. Blessing described two pilot areas chosen to represent a cross-section of neighborhood types; he said pilot area 1 covers about 6,500 homes and pilot area 2 just under 6,000 homes.

Commissioners asked about operational details: how missed pickups will be handled, the equipment involved and how the program will serve neighborhoods with narrow streets or cars parked on both sides. Blessing said modern automated trucks have camera feeds and GPS so customer-service representatives can verify a route in real time and resolve missed pickups quickly; staff said existing truck types would be used in areas where automated vehicles cannot operate. The committee also discussed outreach plans; staff said notices, neighborhood meetings, bill inserts and postcards will be used to notify residents in pilot areas.

Nancy Zielke, chair of the Solid Waste Management Committee, told commissioners the advisory committee has reviewed the proposal and recommended approval; the committee also worked with staff to identify monitoring metrics including tonnage of refuse, recycling participation rates, number of missed locations and bulk-item collections.

The MOU passed on a roll call (Commissioner Burns recorded a no vote; others voted aye). Staff said Waste Management estimates a citywide conversion cost of about $13 million if the program were extended to every residential address, but the company is covering pilot deployment costs and cart replacements during the pilot. The MOU allows the pilot to proceed; further decisions and any permanent citywide change would follow evaluation of pilot data and additional public engagement.