Emporia’s Curbit recycling program has been active since 2015.
Solid Waste Supervisor Keith Senn says traffic is declining so far this year, and aside from possible connections to a nationwide trend, he isn’t sure why. Between New Year’s Day and May 14 of this year, just over 318 tons have been collected — down 40 tons from the same time last year. Last year, the Curbit program led to 1,250 tons of recyclables.
Curbit is available to single-family homes and multi-family apartment complexes with four units or less. Glass, most paper, corrugated cardboard and plastics with numbers 1-7 are now accepted. Senn says newcomers to the program are surprised by the impact Curbit has on their weekly trash amounts.
The contract for Emporia’s Curbit service hasn’t been renewed since 2020 as the recycling market has had several adjustments the last two-plus years. The city has partnered with Hamm’s Quarries since the Curbit service was established. Hamm’s has said it would honor the terms of the previous agreement, which expired in 2020, but the company has also put further contract negotiations on hold until further notice.
Residents interested in being part of the Curbit program can call Emporia Public Works at 620-340-6339 or click here.
