St. Louis Trash Reminder

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ST. LOUIS TRASH REMINDER  –   August 22, 2016

The City and neighborhood residents are concerned about trash problems. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the following information. If you would like to help out in this effort please contact your Neighborhood Improvement Specialist (contact information is posted at the end of this article).

Alleys
Property owners are responsible for maintaining the alley (from their property line to the middle of the alley) free of litter, weeds and overgrown trees, as well as in safe and sanitary condition. Failure to do so may result in citations and/or fines.

Illegal Dumping

If you are a witness to illegal dumping in an alley, on a street or sidewalk, in a vacant lot or someone’s yard, call 911 and give the license number and description of the vehicle used, or information about the person seen dumping. Also call the Citizens’ Service Bureau at 622-4800 so an investigation may be conducted by the City’s Environmental Investigation Unit (a.k.a the Trash Task Force). A police officer from the Trash Task Force will call you back for more information.

Dumpsters

The City of St. Louis provides trash, recycle and yard waste dumpsters in the alleys. Regular household trash is collected twice a week on either Monday and Thursday, or Tuesday and Friday, depending on where you live. Yard waste is emptied once a week during the spring and summer months and once a month (on bulk pick up weeks) during the winter. Placing household trash in a Yard Waste dumpster can be considered illegal dumping.

Dumpster Reminders:

  •   Dumpsters may not be moved with out authorization from the city.
  •   Dumpsters filled to overflowing may not be emptied.
  •   Dumpster lids must be kept closed: Any item that prevents the dumpster lid from closing may not beput in the dumpster.
  •   If rain water (or anything else) accumulates in the dumpster it may become too heavy for the trashtruck to pick up, and may cause your dumpster not to be emptied as scheduled
  •   Do not place large bulk trash items in the dumpsters (stoves, furniture or any item over 3 feet long).
  •   Do not put any flammable liquid, or hazardous waste, including tires and motor oil, in the dumpster
  •   Put household trash in regular dumpsters marked NO YARD WASTE.
  •   Put yard waste (grass clippings, leaves, and small limbs) in dumpsters marked YARD WASTE ONLY.  NOTE: THE CITY DOES NOT COLLECT BRANCHES LEFT LAYING THE ALLEY AND THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER IS SUBJECT TO FINES
  • Kids and Dumpsters:  Frequently children are given the task of taking out the trash. Most kids are not big enough to hold the lid of the dumpster up, and throw the bag in at the same time, so they often leave the bag next to the dumpster. This can cause trash to scatter in the alley, and become a health hazard. It is also considered illegal dumping and could result in citations and/or fines. Make sure your children are able to correctly put the trash in the dumpster, and know which dumpsters to use before you ask them to take out the trash
  • Roll Out Carts:  The City provides roll out carts for areas that do not have alleys and/or dumpsters. Roll carts must be out by 5:30am (or “evening” before) and returned by 11pm day of pickup. Carts cannot be visible from the street when being stored. Roll out carts are the property of the City of St. Louis. If your cart has been damaged or stolen, call Citizen’s Service Bureau at 622-4800.

Open Storage

Residents may not store items in front or rear yards or alley areas. Items include but are not limited to vehicles, household appliances, trash, tires, stacks of lumber, or tree limbs. Tree limbs, or other debris piled on parking pads, or at the edges of the alley may result in citations and/or fines. See above regarding alley maintenance.

Bulk Trash
Note: Illegal dumping of bulk trash items can result in a court date, possible fines, and/or jail time

  •   No more than three (3) items per household may be placed out at the designated time each month.Each residential unit in a building is counted as household.
  •   Bulk Trash items are collected once a month only on the THIRD Monday of the month. Items shouldbe put out by 6:00 A.M. on the Monday of your scheduled bulk pick up week. The pick up may not be on Monday, but will be one day during that week. If by Friday of your pickup week items remain in the alley please call Citizens Service Bureau at 422-4800 and report that your bulk pick up was missed. Be sure they are not items that were placed out AFTER the truck came by.
  •   Items MUST be placed behind your own property at least three (3) feet away from any dumpster. Do not place bulk items behind your neighbor’s property or up against the dumpster. Regular trash trucks must be able to access, lift, and replace the dumpster
  •   Smaller items must be placed in a container or bundle. No container or bundle may weigh over 100 pounds, be over six (6) feet long, or over two (2) feet around. Consider that the city staff must pick up the item to move it to, and place it in, the truck. Example: A bundle of limbs is considered one item pile; a pile of loose limbs is many items and never collected without citation.
  •   Refrigerator doors must be removed. Always consider the safety of others who use your alley, especially children.
  •   Bulk pick up weeks and holiday pick up schedules are shown on a sticker on the dumpster.
  •   City Dump: Large items may be disposed of at any time of the month by taking them to one of twoCity Refuse Transfer Stations. Items may be taken to the South Transfer station at 4100 S. First Street, or the North Transfer Station at 201 N. Humbolt Avenue. The hours are M-F 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.. City residents must show proof of residence by displaying either a current driver’s license with a city address, or paid property tax receipt. Only one load per month is free of charge.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING KEEP YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN AND SANITARY AND DISCOURAGING RODENTS AND DISEASE.PLEASE OFFER TO ASSIST THE DISABLED OR ELDERLY IN ALLEY CLEANLINESS.

Ron Coleman, Neighborhood Improvement Specialist, 17th Ward City of St. Louis
314-657-1361           [email protected]