** This story was originally published in our April 2025 print edition. References to February refer to February 2025. **
If you are a resident of Warrensburg, you may have noticed a red trash bin and blue recycling bin appear outside of your residence this February. The city of Warrensburg has contracted with a new waste disposal service, Constable Sanitation, Inc. The service began March 1, 2025, and applies to properties of four or fewer residential units.
According to Barbara Carroll, Director of Community Development for the City of Warrensburg, solid waste disposal in Warrensburg was previously under the subscription model, meaning providers were hired directly by residents. This is the first time Warrensburg has had a city-wide program.
“I think it gives those residents options that they just didn’t have before, with yard waste, regular bulk waste pickup and regular recycling. That wasn’t really available on a consistent basis, if at all,” Carroll said.
Warrensburg residents previously relied on a nonprofit organization to recycle, but in August of 2019, the nonprofit closed that service, leaving Warrensburg without recycling for the past six years. According to the Pew Research Center, 27% of the United States population lacks curbside recycling.
“I consider having recycling to be the lowest of bars for a community,” said Jeff Rehm, Assistant Director of Outdoor Education at the University of Central Missouri and resident of Warrensburg since 2016. “So I’m happy it is back and hope that it’s a sign that we will begin to do more.”
The Warrensburg City Council began the process of searching for a new waste disposal system in 2021, receiving input from the community through presentations, open house meetings and surveys.
“Of those 1,000 responses we got on the survey, 80% were either very interested or somewhat interested in curbside recycling,” Carroll said. “So obviously, that’s not the whole town. But I would say the curbside recycling and yard waste options were two important services from the people that we did hear from.”
As described on Constable Sanitation, Inc’s website, accepted recyclable materials are plastics #1-5 and #7, metal and aluminum cans, cardboard and mixed paper. All recycled items must be clean and broken down. Carroll encouraged residents to avoid putting trash in recycling bins.
“Any trash and contamination we have in that [recycling] truck, if that gets too high, that whole truck can be refused, which puts all the good effort of many people wasted because of a few bad actors,” Carroll said.
According to Cole Duensing, Solid Waste Coordinator for the City of Warrensburg, in the first month of the new service, the city has hauled 345 tons of trash and 49 tons of recycling, pulling 12% of the total waste out of the landfill.
“Space for landfills is running out and the more that you can pull out of the landfill and recycle, that’s going to be better for the environment. It’s going to be better for everybody’s living conditions. You don’t have to smell it, you don’t have to see it, you don’t have to deal with it,” Duensing said.
Constable Sanitation, Inc is contracted with Warrensburg for five years. Carroll said the city plans to re-evaluate what residents want before renewing the contract.
More information about the city’s waste management system can be found on the City of Warrensburg website and FAQ page.
