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O'Fallon recycling participation rises to about 48% after return to single‑stream, official says
Summary
Environmental Services staff reported that household recycling participation climbed from roughly 8% to about 48% since the city returned to single‑stream; monthly recyclables tonnage increased from ~100 to near 400 tons and the city is adding polypropylene items (including clear restaurant cups).
Jim Wenzara, speaking for Environmental Services, told the Public Works Advisory Committee that O'Fallon's switch back to single‑stream recycling about 18 months ago has substantially increased participation and diverted material from the trash stream.
"We were doing about 8 percent of our City residents were participating in recycling back in early '25 when we started going back, and currently we are at about 48 percent participation," Wenzara said.
Wenzara said monthly recyclables tonnage has risen from roughly 100 tons to about 400 tons, reducing overall trash tonnage and helping the program's financial sustainability. He described contamination rates as "extremely low" and said the city and its recycling partner are continuing outreach, including a third postcard mailing to residents with updated lists of acceptable materials.
Among changes, Wenzara said the program now accepts some polypropylene products — including clear restaurant cups — and that the city partnership and grant funding helped pay for outreach materials. He also noted practical limits on some items: styrofoam in residential trash still goes to the landfill and, in general, more specialized industrial streams would be needed for large volumes of certain materials.
Wenzara described operational controls used to limit contamination: trucks have multiple cameras (he said seven per truck, with one pointed into the hopper) so customer service can identify and call households with recurring contamination. "So a lot of times you can't get it. Whatever it was, maybe it was styrofoam or something that shouldn't have been in there, but he just calls Customer Service. They'll document it and they'll make a phone call to that resident," he said.
Committee members asked practical questions about caps on bottles and black plastic. Wenzara said caps may be left on bottles and that while black plastic is not preferred, the recycling partner is currently accepting it and finding uses for it.
Next steps: staff will continue public outreach, finalize the postcard mailing and monitor contamination levels as the program expands accepted materials.
