Reporters with ABC television affiliate KMBC 9 have spent a year studying the consequences of both the unchecked pile-up of trash in some parts of Kansas City and the near-capacity situation at area landfills. Not to mention litter on roadways.

See portions of the documentary, Chronicle: Dirty Kansas City, first aired in early October, and hear a discussion between key players responsible for keeping the city safe, clean, and beautiful.

In the first half of the program, meet Kansas Citian Minnie Mitchem who walks her neighborhood every afternoon cleaning up litter, and Marlon Thatcher whose advocacy to clear illegal dumping led to a cleanup of abandoned lots.

In the second half, Stop the Landfill Coalition President Rick Meyers and KC Recycle and Waste Solutions owner Jenny Monheiser explain the pros and cons of a proposed landfill in South Kansas City. Tom Jacobs, chief resilience officer with Mid-America Regional Council, will also join the discussion to provide a larger regional perspective on Kansas City’s need for future landfills and what we can all do to reduce the amount we throw away.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, every person produces between five and seven pounds of trash or recycling every day, which contributes to the 300 million tons of waste that accumulates in U.S. landfills yearly.

To watch the full Chronicle: Dirty Kansas City program, download the Very Local KMBC app.