Houston to Spend $5M to Get Recycling Collections Back on Track

Houston residents are fed up with their recycling bins not being emptied on scheduled collection days, and in response to their complaints, the Houston City Council has approved a plan to spend $5 million to get recycling collections back on track.

Starting February 1, the city will outsource 10 daily recycling routes to Texas Pride Disposal Solutions, LLC and rent five heavy trucks from Big Truck Rentals, LLC to help with recycling and yard waste pickup. This plan will also help with the city’s post-holiday backlog, labor shortage and reliance on old recycling trucks.

KHOU News has more:

Houston will spend millions to get its recycling pickup schedule back on track after City Council voted Wednesday to outsource roughly a quarter of its daily collection routes and rent extra trucks.

The emergency spending agenda item comes after recent reports of residents’ recycling bins not being emptied on scheduled days or at all.

Harry Hayes, Director of Solid Waste Management Department, hopes the emergency purchase can bring the city’s recycling collection schedule back to normal by the middle to end of February.

“I think it will be significant,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner after the vote Wednesday morning at City Hall.

Read the full story here.