Some St. Louis residents are disappointed that the city ended a recycling pilot program. You can still recycle in St. Louis, but now you have to bring your own stuff to the recycling center. The city won’t pick it up for you the way they pick up garbage.

People are finding some costs of recycling difficult to face. Here’s one comment about the change in policy:

“Now it’s become very unhandy to recycle.”

In fact, it always was unhandy to recycle. It was never free and instantaneous. Under the pilot program, St. Louisians enjoyed the benefits of the recycling pickup without paying for it directly. The cost was spread out through taxation, and no one got a bill specifically for that service.

Once again, St. Louis residents will have to bear some of the cost of recycling, either by paying for a pickup service or by taking it to one of the drop-off centers themselves. People who truly value recycling will gladly give up the extra time or money. Those for whom recycling is less important will find better uses for their resources.