Kingman weighs return of recycling drop program; solid-waste staff expand free cleanup slots

Ed, the city’s solid-waste superintendent, told the Clean City Commission that the City Council has directed staff to proceed with a recycling drop-site program under a pay-as-you-throw model and scheduled a public hearing on the plan.

Ed said the council reviewed three options — a per-household funded program, a pay-as-you-throw drop-site, and a green-waste program — and “they did, agree to move forward with a drop program.” He said a public hearing is expected in May to allow public comment before the council votes; if the council approves the ordinance or authorization, staff will provide implementation details such as site hours and acceptable materials.

Why it matters: The change could restore a staffed recycling drop site that accepts a broader range of materials — especially plastics — and uses on-site attendants to reduce contamination, which the superintendent said fell as low as 10% when drop sites were staffed and sometimes rose to about 47–50% when unstaffed in prior years.

Ed also updated the commission on a free bulk-trash collection program that provides up to 5 cubic yards of pickup. The city ran four outreach cycles in the winter and collected roughly 270 work orders; staff plan to open another batch of about 100 free pickups in May. Residents are directed to contact the neighborhood-services office to request a pickup; the meeting audio included a phone number but the number spoken was not clearly recorded in the meeting transcript.

Commissioners asked about contamination control; Ed said staffed drop sites permit attendants to reject contaminated loads and to educate residents, which historically lowered contamination rates. He said staff will return with more implementation details if the council approves the program.