Region M Waste Management District

06/17/2026

Happy Waste & Recycling Workers Week! ♻️ Thank you. We appreciate you!

06/15/2026

📅 Date: Tuesday, June 16

🕠 Informational Meeting Begins: 5:30 PM

🙋 Public Hearing Begins: 6:30 PM

📍 Location: Council Chambers, City Hall (5th Floor)

📢 Want to learn more about environmental clean-up at the former International Paper Company site?

Join the Missouri Department of Natural Resources as they host an upcoming informational meeting and public hearing regarding the International Paper Company facility's hazardous waste permit modification.

📅 Date: Tuesday, June 16
🕠 Informational Meeting Begins: 5:30 PM

🙋 Public Hearing Begins: 6:30 PM

📍 Location: Council Chambers, City Hall (5th Floor)

At the informational meeting which will begin at 5:30 pm, MDNR’s Waste Management Program (WMP) team will present a brief overview of the draft permit modification. After that, the public hearing will begin at 6:30 pm. DNR has said questions will not be answered during the hearing; rather, questions submitted during the public hearing will be responded to in writing, and comments will be entered into the official record. Written comments and oral public hearing testimony are treated with equal consideration.

Individuals requiring special services or accommodations in order to attend the meeting can make arrangements by contacting Abby Sawyer at least 72 hours before the meeting by telephone at 573-526-5397 or 800-361-4827, or by email at [email protected]. Hearing and speech-impaired individuals may reach Sawyer through Relay Missouri at 800-735-2966.

The WMP previously invited the public to review and offer written comments on the draft hazardous waste permit modification from March 20,2026 to May 6, 2026. Due to public interest, the WMP is extending the public comment period until June 29,2026.

The draft hazardous waste permit modification and various other documents are available on the WMP’s website at: https://dnr.mo.gov/waste-recycling/what-were-doing/public-notices

Not all supporting documents are available on the WMP’s website due to their size. The public can view and copy all supporting documents at the Joplin Public Library, 1901 East 20th Street, Joplin, MO (during normal business hours) or through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources by way of a sunshine request. Please visit dnr.mo.gov/open-records-sunshine-law-requests.

06/03/2026

Don’t miss out on this FREE webinar!

📣Join the Missouri Product Stewardship Council (MOPSC) for a FREE webinar:

PaintCare Program Implementation: Case Studies from Illinois and Maryland
📅 Wednesday, June 17
🕐 1:00–2:30 PM ET

PaintCare has collected more than 90 million gallons of leftover paint since launching in Oregon in 2010, with nearly 84% of latex paint recycled into new paint. As the program continues expanding across the country, this webinar will provide an inside look at how PaintCare develops, launches, and implements successful paint stewardship programs.

Featured speaker Jacob Saffert, Director of Eastern States for PaintCare, will discuss:
✅ How PaintCare programs are established through model legislation
✅ Program development, launch, and first-year implementation
✅ Common challenges and solutions
✅ Stakeholder engagement and infrastructure development
✅ Lessons learned from recent launches in Illinois and Maryland

The webinar will be moderated by Amanda Nicholson, Chief of Operations at the Product Stewardship Institute.

Whether you’re a local government official, recycler, solid waste professional, policymaker, or sustainability advocate, this is a great opportunity to learn about one of the nation’s most successful product stewardship programs.

🔗 Register today and join the conversation!

https://productstewardship.us/events/paintcare-program-implementation-case-studies-from-illinois-and-maryland/

05/21/2026

As we prepare for a new fiscal year, FY2026 projects across the Region M Waste Management District will soon be wrapping up, while FY2027 projects are getting ready to begin.

We want to take this opportunity to thank the cities, counties, businesses, schools, nonprofits, and partner organizations throughout southwest Missouri who continue to make waste reduction and recycling a priority. Your hard work, innovation, and commitment help create cleaner, more sustainable communities for everyone.

We appreciate all that you do and look forward to another year of impactful projects and partnerships across the Region M District! ♻️

www.regionm.org

05/15/2026

WOO HOO!!! WE HAVE A WIN TO CELEBRATE TODAY! 🎉

Missouri Senate Bill 1586 DID NOT PASS because time officially ran out before the legislation could make it through the process on the final day of the regular legislative session!

This bill came down to the very last hour in the Missouri House and was ultimately voted out of the Fiscal Review Committee for consideration — but thankfully, the clock ran out before it could move any further.

We are also truly grateful to our state senators and representatives for taking the time to listen to us when we visited at the Capitol and for thoughtfully engaging with the hundreds of emails and messages they received on this issue. That willingness to hear concerns and understand the real impact on Missouri’s solid waste management districts meant a great deal throughout this process.

We cannot thank our district staff, board members, grantees, partners, and community supporters enough for the encouragement, support, phone calls, emails, and outreach to legislators over the past several months. Your voices mattered, and your advocacy made a difference.

Because the bill failed, Missouri’s solid waste management districts remain intact, and district funding will stay where it belongs — supporting local communities, recycling programs, waste reduction efforts, education, equipment, and regional projects across Missouri.

Do we think this issue is over? Probably not. We fully expect similar legislation to return next year, and when it does, we will be prepared to fight it again.

But for today… we are incredibly thankful, relieved, and proud to celebrate this win together. THANK YOU ALL! ♻️

05/15/2026

🎓 Congratulations to the Class of 2026! 🎉

From all of us at Region M Waste Management District, we celebrate your hard work, dedication, and accomplishments. Your future is full of opportunities, and we can’t wait to see the positive impact you’ll make in our communities and beyond.

As you take the next step in your journey, remember that even small actions can create lasting change — including caring for our environment and building a cleaner, more sustainable future for southwest Missouri.

Best wishes for success, happiness, and exciting adventures ahead. Congratulations, graduates! 🌟♻️

05/12/2026

♻️

Got aluminum cans, newspapers, milk jugs, plastics, magazines, cardboard, tin cans, or paper?

Bring them by Lamar Enterprises for recycling and help keep unnecessary items out of the landfill. Bins are easily labeled and open 24/7.

A simple way to help keep our community looking its best.

1401 Maple Street,
Lamar, MO 64759
417-682-3506

They do not accept Glass, Hazardous Materials, Yard or Organic Waste!

05/06/2026

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Waste Management Program and Environmental Remediation Program will host the Solid and Hazardous Waste Forum beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday May 14, 2026, at 1730 E Elm Street Jefferson City, MO 65101 in the Roaring River and Bennett Springs conference rooms. There is a virtual option via Webex and the information on how to join the meeting is listed below.



Join Via Webex:

https://stateofmo.webex.com/stateofmo/j.php?MTID=m6bcbf443e8adb03f85e1222707db94b8

Join by meeting number

Meeting number (access code): 2868 468 4411

Meeting password: f833mMkQyCK

-or-

Call-in toll number (US/Canada): 1-650-479-3207

People with disabilities requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting may make arrangements by calling the department at 573-526-1386 or 800-361-4827. They also may write two weeks in advance of the meeting to the following address:

Department of Natural Resources Waste Management Program

Attn: Kristin Ridenhour

P.O. Box 176 Jefferson City, MO 65102



Hearing impaired individuals may contact the program through Relay Missouri at 1-800-735-2966.

05/05/2026

Last few events before Summer gets here!

05/04/2026

It’s not over yet! And even though the current language doesn’t dissolve the districts, it would still decrease our funding for Region M by $70k per year. We would have to drastically cut our recycling events and reduce the amount of funding granted out each year. Please email the Emerging Issues Committee and let them know we want our funding to stay here in southwest Missouri!