BLUE SPRINGS, MO – Due to balancing budgetary priorities and rising program costs, the City of Blue Springs will no longer be participating in the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Recycling Program.
The City Council approved the elimination of this program with the adoption of the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 annual budget, which went into effect October 1, 2019. In recent years, the City has strategically focused on funding core municipal services that serve more residents. In addition, there has been a concerted effort to eliminate or reduce funding for programs and services that are ultimately the responsibility of other entities or can be funded through user fees. The City has participated in the MARC program for several years only to see the cost increase substantially each year, while utilization remains relatively low.
As of January 1, 2020, Blue Springs residents will no longer have free access to local HHW Recycling drop-off programs or regional facilities. Residents may continue to utilize the Lee’s Summit Recycling facility at 2101 SE Hamblen Road, however, they will be responsible for a $50 HHW drop-off fee for materials up to 100 pounds. Additionally, the City will no longer host a HHW drop-off event in the spring.
“We recognize the inconvenience and understand the disappointment this may cause among some residents who have used this program in the past,” said Mayor Carson Ross. “The decision to no longer participate in the MARC program was carefully evaluated and weighed with other resident-priorities outlined in the 2018 Citizen’s Survey. I also want to thank the talented team at MARC whose dedicated work over the years with this program and many other regional initiatives are truly appreciated. The decision to exit this particular program is completely based on costs and changing local priorities in Blue Springs.”
In addition to the Lee’s Summit Recycling Center, a list of metro-area recycling facilities can be found at RecycleSpot.org (user fees vary).