The Big Muddy used to be our landfill … and other historic trash facts

When I asked officials at both the City of Kansas City and Deffenbaugh Industries when the private trash hauler first started collecting the Cowtown’s garbage both sides had the same answer: They had no idea. All they knew was that the partnership had been in place so long that it pre-dated the institutional memory employed at City Hall and corporate headquarters.

Luckily, a staffer in the city clerk’s office dug through some old boxes and found the first ordinance from 1972. Curious about what factors played into that decision, I went to the Kansas City Public Library to read up on the trash landscape back in the 1970s. Now, I’d rather spend hours with a microfilm machine and old newspaper clipping than surf the web and go glassy-eyed looking at blogs. So, yes, I probably went a little overboard indulging my inner history nerd.

But I did learn some interesting stuff. Here are three things — one disgusting, one inspiring and one that proves good ideas really don’t die — you probably didn’t know about one of the most expensive amenities you take for granted every single day.