BELLE — Many former GFL Environmental customers are struggling to find new trash pickup services in the Bland and Belle areas as existing companies often cannot take on new customers. Local environmental groups are worried about potential increases in illegal dumping when customers’ needs are not met.

Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District’s Jill Hollowell said on April 4 that there is still a solution to the significant amount of trash not being picked up at residences.

“We have a lot of frustrated folks out there without service and it is too likely that we’ll see an increase in illegal dumping along roadways or on public lands,” Hollowell said.

GFL Environmental, formerly WCA, sent letters in March notifying many customers in rural areas that they were discontinuing trash collection services effective March 30.

“This placed a large number of people in a difficult situation, to try to secure new trash collection services in just a few weeks,” Hollowell said.

The remaining waste removal companies have since become aware of the trash desert — a place where no waste removal company is servicing — and are striving to help potential customers find intermediate solutions until a more permanent arrangement can be made.

“Please understand that it takes time to expand services and routes,” Hollowell said. “It requires additional resources of manpower, bins, trucks, etcetera. People may be placed on a waiting list until those additional resources can be acquired.”

Local companies such as Swinger Sanitation located in Cuba are working to accommodate new customers. They were in town on March 30 distributing trash carts, which are limited because they are on backorder.

“Purchasing a new truck to service customers has a three-year waitlist,” Hollowell continued. “They currently have a waitlist of 100 plus customers for 96-gallon trash carts. They are taking new customers depending on their location/needs and based on how they fit into their current route since they can’t just buy a new truck.”

Some new customers will have carts dropped off immediately while others will be asked to put trash bags on the side of the road until more can be distributed in the next two to three weeks. Hollowell advised against burning trash, as much of today’s waste contains a stew of plastics containing chemical additives and they are potentially harmful to human health and the environment when trash is burned.

“The solution to fill the trash service gap is using local transfer stations,” she said. “As a short-term fix, residents can take their refuse to transfer stations and landfills in the region until they can secure service from a different trash hauler. Most of these facilities offer reasonable costs for individuals to dump their household waste.”

Companies that are working to fill the gap, by county, include:

Crawford County:

Prairie Valley Sanitary Landfill - accepting up to 10 standard trash bags at $2 per bag. More than 10 bags are weighed at the scale with a $30 minimum or $60 per ton. They are located three miles north of Cuba along State Highway 19. Operating hours are from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

— Items that are not accepted include — batteries, tires, liquid paint, yard waste trimmings, oil, pesticides in 55-gallon barrels, large pieces of concrete and rock, freon appliance, metal or anything considered as special waste. Computer monitors and TVs may be taken to the Rolla Recycling Center or the St. Robot Transfer Station along with household hazardous wastes, by appointment only. Visit ozarkrivers.org for more information.

Phelps County

Phelps County Transfer Station - will accept up to 500 pounds for $12.50 and up to 1,000 pounds for $25 or $49 per ton. They are located at 12441 Co Rd 2170, Rolla. Operational hours are from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturdays.

— They do not accept batteries, oils, tires, paint, yard waste trimmings, oil, chemicals, pesticides, large pieces of concrete and rock.

Pulaski County

Saint Robert Transfer Station — Located at 119 J.H. Williamson Jr Dr. Saint Robert, MO 65584. A $12.50 minimum charge that covers up to 400 pounds. Anything over 400 pounds is prorated at $52 a ton. Scrap metal and some electronics are accepted.  Household hazardous waste (HHW) is accepted by appointment. Operational hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

For any questions regarding specialized waste removal, contact Hollowell at jhollowell@meramecregion.org.

The city of Belle is also attempting to bring waste services providers to the area according to City Treasurer Charro Reasor.

“The only one I have spoke to was Republic out of Jefferson City, with a branch in Rolla,” Reasor said. “But we have to have 100 residents in town sign up and then they will consider out of town.”

However, Reasor says the list is nowhere near 100 residents.

“I think we only have 17 on the lists,” she said. “Most of them are out-of-town residents.”

The company also did not provide a price for services.

“They would have to have 100 committed residents before giving us a price,” she said. “Anyone who is interested in receiving services should sign up at City Hall. We have had a lot of people message us on Facebook to ask to be put on the list, which we have done.”

Reasor said that based on her phone calls to neighboring towns, she can say that the affected coverage area at least includes Belle, Bland, Owensville, New Haven, Gerald, and Rosebud and several smaller towns between, not to mention rural areas.

“It’s a lot,” she said. “I don’t know what we are going to do and it will be summertime soon, so the trash is going to start to stink.”