The Office of Waste Management works with others to initiate source reduction, recycling, and educational programs for residents, businesses, institutions, government agencies, waste haulers and landfill operators and encourages recycling market development in Saint Louis County.

For curbside recycling, single family residents can call their trash hauler (who is required to offer curbside recycling in unincorporated areas). Municipal residents can contact City Hall.

Apartment or condominium residents can contact their property manager to set up a recycling program or use recycling drop-off sites. A "Recycling Directory" of drop-off sites is available from Waste Management at 615-8958 (fax 615-6435).

There is a cost to collect, transport and process recyclables and market prices may not cover all of these costs. With a curbside recycling service, you are paying for convenience. Shop around for the service with the lowest rate and the most recyclables picked up.

Recycling drop-off sites accept recyclables for free and some may buy back certain recyclables. Call first to find out what they accept.

Although markets exist for many materials, recyclers will not collect certain materials if it is not cost-effective for them. But market conditions are always changing! As market conditions improve, the number of materials collectable for recycling will increase.

Call or write Waste Management for information to help you develop, implement or expand a recycling program in your community.

• A quarterly newsletter: Resource Line - Update on Solid Waste Alternatives,

For information about this, or for more information about recycling, please call or visit our office at

Saint Louis County Department of Health
111 South Meramec Avenue, 2nd floor
Clayton, MO 63105
Phone: (314) 615-8958
Fax: (314) 615-6435.

The mission of the Saint Louis County Office of Waste Management:

• To facilitate the development of recycling programs that are cost effective, convenient, efficient, and result in high participation and recovery rates;

• To encourage the use of recycled products; and

• To promote source reduction and waste prevention to reduce the amount and toxicity of solid waste reaching landfills in Saint Louis County.

This office was established in 1991 to develop programs that enable the County to conserve valuable natural resources, extend landfill life spans, achieve the state and County mandate of 40% reduction in the generation rate of solid waste by 1998, and serve as a model solid waste management program for other Missouri counties.

Technical assistance, grant monies for municipalities, and funds for unincorporated areas of Saint Louis County are available to develop and promote new and/or expanded recycling and source reduction efforts throughout the County.

Source reduction is also called "pre-cycling". It simply means generating less material that has to be handled for recycling or disposal. Source reduction may be accomplished by simple changes in purchasing behavior, such as buying products that use only a small amount of packaging. Precycling can be a powerful tool for extending the longevity of our landfills.

Recycling, the reuse of materials from used products for the production of new products, is the other key to the trash problem, and a solution that conserves valuable natural resources while extending landfill life spans. The Office of Waste Management works with businesses and communities to increase the scope, convenience, cost-effectiveness, and participation rate of recycling programs throughout Saint Louis County.