Houston will continue its multifamily recycling program to make 3,000 units recycling households by the end of 2026.
The Houston Solid Waste Management Department presented updates on its multifamily recycling program at the Budget and Fiscal Affairs meeting March 31.
What is it?
Through a grant from The Recycling Partnership, Houston has a goal of delivering recycling services to 3,000 units across 12 multifamily properties throughout the city. The program is free, and funding comes from the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. Services in the program include:
- In-unit recycling bins provided by the city
- Valet service options
- Future citywide recycling policies
- Full service and management by the city of Houston
- Weekly contamination monitoring by staff
Since launching in October, over 1,300 households across six properties have become part of the program, according to the agenda item.
“The lack of accessible recycling has a profound impact on city finances,” District C council member Abbie Kamin said during the meeting.
Some background
The city’s primary landfill is expected to be at capacity in nine years. According to the Solid Waste Department, this means the city will need to shift its waste from landfills and increase recycling efforts.
“This being the closest [landfill to the city] and the most used will have an effect on travel time, and there will be a cost factor if we have to travel farther,” Veronica Lizama, the Solid Waste Department’s chief of staff, said.
Lizama added that it would be about a 15-year timeline to bring on a new landfill, and due to the lack of space within the city, it will likely be farther away.
“We’re already behind the curve on that,” Kamin said. “We understand that the department is strained.”
What’s next?
The Solid Waste Management Department will begin implementing the program in Camden properties, which owns and manages dozens of apartment and townhome communities across the city, and enroll about 500 units in April.
By the end of 2026, Lizama said the department hopes to have 3,000 units in the program and will present its findings to council to see if it is a program that the city can continue.
