Community Corner
Staffing Shortages, Influx Of Trash In St. Louis City Making It Hard To Keep Up With Removal
St. Louis City officials say they've been inundated with trash pickups this year since more people are staying home due to the pandemic.
December 15 2020
ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) -- St. Louis City officials say they’ve been inundated with trash pickups this year.
Find out what's happening in St. Louisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The refuse department says this time of year trash bins are expected to be fuller, but with more people being home because of the pandemic, they’ve seen significant increases in trash.
The city says because of the pandemic more people are ordering take-out, shopping online, and doing home improvement projects. These actions have led to added cardboard and take-out boxes the refuse departments are having to deal with.
Find out what's happening in St. Louisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The city’s spokesperson says this has been an uphill battle because they’re also dealing with staffing shortages.
Currently, the city is budgeted to have 71 refuse drivers, but right now only 50 are employed. The city says this has caused crews to work 10 hour days, including weekends.
