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Trash & Recycling
Public Works manages a comprehensive, City wide solid waste management program. This program includes a multi-year contract with Republic Services which involves semi-automated trash and yard waste collection, curbside and drop-off recycling and bulky item collection. As a supplemental service the City participates in a regional Household Hazardous Waste program.
Solid Waste Collection
- All residential households pay a $18.98 per month sanitation charge for curbside solid waste collection, including trash and recycling. The City will include the charge for these services on your utility bill. New residents sign up for trash / recycling collection when they sign up for water service at Liberty City Hall.
- Republic Services provides new customers with two 65-gallon, lidded and wheeled carts. One cart is for trash and the second, which has a yellow lid, is for recyclables (please, no glass!).
- To find out your collection day, call 816.254.1470 or view the Trash Districts and Pickup Days map.
- Trash Credit Program for Seniors: Anyone 65 years or older may be eligible for a partial service charge credit for sanitation collection. For details, call the Finance Department at 816.439.4460.
- If you need immediate assistance with your trash pick up, bin replacement or need additional bins, please call 816.439.4545.
On Your Trash Day
- To help eliminate unwanted litter in our community, residents should bag their trash before putting it into the trash carts.
- All trash and recyclables must be placed at the curb or roadside no later than 7 a.m. on your trash day (find your trash day on the Trash Districts and Pickup Days map.)
- Be sure to place your cart so that the arrows on top of the lid face toward the street.
- If possible, try to place your carts far enough away from any obstacles (trees, mailboxes, poles, etc.) so that the automated arm of the trucks can easily reach your cart.
Materials Not Eligible for Trash Collection
- Yard waste such as grass clippings, leaves, edgings, bush and branch clippings should not be put in the trash (see the Yard Waste tab above for more information about yard waste collection services).
- Appliances and tires are not accepted at Missouri landfills; contact a private hauler for these items.
- Concrete rock and trash from remodeling or roofing, major repairs, construction or demolition scraps.
- Household hazardous waste including motor oil and auto batteries. (See the Household Hazardous Waste tab above for more information on HHW disposal opportunities).
- Large and excessive quantities of dirt or sod.
- Waste materials from a business or enterprise at a residence.
- Hot coals or fireplace ashes.
Exemption Service For Physically Challenged Residents
The City of Liberty’s contract with Republic Services requires that a special service for those residents who are physically unable, due to aging or a physical condition, to move collection containers for solid waste and recycling from the building line to the curb for pickup.
In addition, many do not have any available relative, friend or neighbor who can perform this task for them. While we are happy to provide this service, we must limit its availability to those whose mobility is medically and physically impaired.
It is requested that the resident fill out the Exemption Service Questionnaire (PDF), and that medical documentation be provided to verify the need of each resident who receives exemption service. Please remember to have your physician sign the medical documentation.
Holiday Collection
When the following holidays fall on a weekday, trash and recycling collection will run one day late for the remainder of the week:
- New Year’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
Service usually will be one day late for the remainder of the week following these holidays. If the holidays fall on a weekend, trash service may not be affected. City holiday schedules are publicized preceding the specific holiday through social media, the News Flash (e-newsletter) and in the Liberty News and Calendar sections of the City’s homepage.
Sign up here to receive the News Flash.
To provide residents with a more flexible option when it comes to disposal of bulky items, the City of Liberty and Republic Services offer a pick-your-own-time bulky item pick up schedule.
Appointments are required! To schedule a collection day, fill out this online form. If you are unable to complete the online form or do not receive a confirmation after completing the form, please call Public Works directly at 816.439.4503, with the option of filling the form out for you over the phone. Republic Services typically schedules bulk item pickups on Thursdays for confirmed appointments.
Residents can put out up to four cubic yards at the curb or roadway by 7 a.m. on your confirmed appointment day. This can be in many shapes and sizes, for a frame of reference see the below image.
Please keep in mind that, with the exception of large pieces of furniture, each item must not exceed 40 pounds or be longer than four feet. Wood must be bundled in four foot lengths and weigh less than 40 pounds. To assist the trash collectors, please be sure that all items are securely tied, bagged or bundled.
The following items are NOT eligible for collection:
- Sleeper sofas
- Tires
- Hazardous waste (including paint, insecticides, chemicals, fluorescent light bulbs, batteries, etc)
- Appliances
- Construction / remodeling materials larger than 4" x 4", roofing material or railroad ties
- Yard waste
- Concrete, rock and rubble
Each single-family residence is eligible for two free pickups each calendar year. If you need more than two pick ups each year, you can schedule additional dates with Republic Services for an additional fee.
Single Stream Recycling
Your recycling is collected in a combined or mixed fashion. Paper and containers are collected together. Since there is no need to separate, recycle materials can be placed into your bin without regard to paper or containers. You no longer need to segregate paper in your bin. Add materials to your bin as generated.
Curbside Recycling
Curbside recycling services are available to all Liberty residential customers except apartment dwellers. Please use the cart with the yellow lid for recyclables. The 65-gallon cart should be placed at the curb for pick-up the same day as trash collection. If you do not already have a cart, one can be scheduled for delivery by calling Public Works at 816.439.4503.
- Recycling for Businesses: Business can also directly contact Republic Services for recycling services as part of the City's contract. For more info, call Republic Services at 816.254.1470.
Drop-Off Recycling Center
The curbside recycling program is supplemented with a drop-off recycling program. Residents can dispose of their recyclables throughout the week from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the City’s Public Works facility at 400 Suddarth. View a directional map.
What Can You Recycle?
To print the RecycleMore information sheet, visit the ReycleSpot website »
The same materials that can be recycled curbside can be disposed of at the drop-off center. Glass can also be recycled in the purple Ripple Glass bins at the drop off-center and three other locations in the Liberty area. Find a location near you».
Please Note: When recycling, please make sure your recyclables are empty, clean and dry.
If you have questions about what items can be taken for the curbside program, please call 816.439.4545.
Helpful Recycling Hints
- Flatten plastic, tin and aluminum containers if you need more room in the bin.
- Rinse all containers.
- Remove lids and rings from bottles.
- Make sure all materials, including magazines, catalogs, ad inserts, phone books and brochures, and all items accepted curbside, are placed inside the bin and it is at the curb by 7 a.m. on your collection day.
Other Recycling/Disposal Resources
RecycleSpot.org - This site's search tool will identify a wide variety of places to recycle, donate, sell or buy used items throughout the Kansas City region.
Residents can recycle glass at several locations in the Liberty area. This is a FREE service offered by Ripple Glass. Just look for the purple recycling bins at one of these locations:
- Liberty's Recycling Center (400 Suddarth),
- Price Chopper (896 S. State Rte 291)
- Price Chopper (9717 N. Ash Ave., Kansas City MO 64157)
Glass Recycling Tips:
- No need to sort your glass by color.
- Please no plate glass, mirrors, Pyrex or Corning Ware. Just food and beverage containers.
- Don't worry about removing labels.
- Rinsing is nice, but not required.
Curbside Yard Waste Collection
Residents who are interested in yard waste service may order it directly from Republic Services at 816.254.1470. Yard waste collection is available for $59.07 per quarter or $236.28 for the entire year.
A 95-gallon yard waste tote is available from Republic Services. For collections from April through December, the tote can be placed curbside each week with the recyclables and trash carts.
- If customers are using the yard waste cart, they may place five additional yard waste bags at the curb each week.
- If customers are not using the cart, they may place up to 10 bags of yard waste at the curb each week. Customers must use brown paper yard waste bags, which are available at most home improvement or hardware stores.
- The contractor will also pick up branches that are bundled, as long as they are not longer than 36" long, the diameter of any branch does not exceed 3" and the bundle must weigh less than 40 lbs.
Due to issues with moisture in yard waste and concerns with freezing, customers should only use brown paper yard waste bags starting Dec. 15 - March 15. The contractor WILL NOT empty the carts during these three months.
Curbside yard waste guidelines»
Tree Limb Disposal Yard
The City also opens its Tree Limb Disposal Yard for several days, with some weekend hours, during the last full weeks of April and October.
Only tree limbs may be brought to the area. Other yard waste will not be accepted. No commercial vehicles will be allowed to access the site. Liberty residents must provide proof of residency (driver’s license, city water bill, etc.).
The disposal site is located on new 210 Highway, approximately a 0.5 mile east of Highway 291. Residents should watch for signage on the north side of new 210 Highway identifying the site area.
Reminders are distributed via the News Flash, the City’s email news service, Channel 2 (for Time Warner subscribers, Twitter, and local newspapers. Dates and details also are included on the Community Events calendar and the News section of this webpage and the City’s homepage.
Regional Brush/Yard Waste Drop-Off Facility
Liberty residents can also take advantage of a regional brush/yard waste facility in Gladstone. Fees apply.
Residential Program
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Commercial Program
Monday - Friday
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
The facility is located at Gladstone Public Works, 4000 NE 76th Street. Proof of residency must be presented at the time of payment. All materials are ground for reuse as beneficial mulch and compost. View more information about the facility or associated fees (PDF) or call 816.436.5442.
Christmas Trees Recycling
The City offers a drop-off site for Christmas tree collections for a limited time during the holidays. Reminders will be distributed via social media and the News Flash (weekly e-newsletter). Christmas tree recycling typically takes place at Bennett Park (1100 N Clayview Dr).
An important component of Liberty’s recycling program is Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection. Liberty area residents may participate at no charge in the Regional HHW Center collection program. This includes access to mobile collection events in Liberty and other participating communities as well as access to permanent facilities in Kansas City (4707 Deramus Ave., Kansas City, MO) or Lee's Summit (2101 SE Hamblen Rd., Lee’s Summit, MO - appointment required).
For a schedule of mobile events in the metro area and information about the permanent facilities, including addresses, hours and items that each will accept, visit RecycleSpot.org and go to Hazardous Waste in the main menu. Or view the Household Hazardous Waste brochure, which includes the schedule of mobile collection events, permanent collection facilities, tips for gathering your HHW for disposal, what is accepted and more!
RecycleSpot.org
If you have other materials or equipment you want to recycle, check out RecycleSpot.org. This site's search tool will identify a wide variety of places to recycle, donate, sell or buy used items throughout the Kansas City region.