Sedalia’s recycling program could see a revival in the future if the city is successful in a grant application authorized last week by the City Council.

The council approved a resolution authorizing the public works operations division to seek a grant of $412,295 from the West Central Missouri Solid Waste Management District F. Interim city administrator Matthew Wirt says if approved, the city will use the grant to purchase and install a commercial-grade glass pulverizer, with the goal of using the end product in-house.

The city currently collects glass and other recyclables at their materials management site on Route U south of the city, with the glass eventually taken by Ripple Glass in Kansas City. Wirt says the new pulverizer will allow the city to reuse materials that would otherwise go to the landfill or leave town.

Wirt says the city also hopes to bring back recycling dropoff points within the city for not just glass, but also plastic, paper, cardboard, and other common recyclables .

The City of Sedalia offered curbside recycling until 2020 upon the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then residents have had to take their recyclable materials to the city’s management site.