Update: 5:55 p.m. April 14
The city of Fulsher announced April 14 its waste provider, WCA, will resume curbside recycling April 22.
April 15 will be the last day residents can drop off their recycling at the dumpsters on Plymouth Lane, near the Cross Creek Ranch Welcome Center, which is at 6450 Cross Creek Bend Lane.
Curbside recycling collection had been temporarily suspended in Fulshear since April 3 because a WCA driver tested positive for the coronavirus. The driver and others in close contact were quarantined, and WCA was experiencing a temporary staff shortage.
According to an April 11 Facebook post by Fulshear, WCA had 21 employees in quarantine.
During the service suspension, residents dropped off recyclables in receptacles.
“While we know it was an inconvenience for our citizens, we truly appreciate the consideration and understanding while WCA made sure their employees were safe,” the city said.
Update 2:45 p.m. April 6
The city of Fulshear announced additional changes to its recycling procedures in an April 5 Facebook post.
Starting April 6, three recycling receptacles will be available at one location for residents to drop off items. The receptacles will be on Plymouth Lane near the Cross Creek Ranch Welcome Center, which is at 6450 Cross Creek Bend Lane, per the post.
In addition, residents can no longer dump their recycling at the Irene Stern Community Center.
These changes were made because one recycling dumpster was determined to be insufficient to collect all the trash at the Plymouth Lane location, per the post. Additionally, the dumpster at the Irene Stern Community Center had little use.
Update 7:25 p.m. April 2
The city of Fulshear has announced new processes for its recycling collection.
Effective April 3, the city’s waste provider, WCA, will no longer provide curbside recycling services, according to a press release. Instead, two 5-foot dumpster units are available for city residents to use to dispose of their recyclable materials.
The dumpsters are located at:
- Irene Stern Community Center, 6920 Katy Fulshear Road, Fulshear; and
- Plymouth Lane, which is near the Cross Creek Ranch Welcome Center, 6450 Cross Creek Bend Lane.
“We are anticipating this will be a short-term situation, and we believe a reasonable solution to help mitigate the concerns we received regarding the recycling suspension by WCA,” the release states.
The dumpsters will be monitored by city staff, who will ensure they are replaced by empty containers when full, per the release.
The release urges residents not to place nonrecyclable items—such as trash, bulk waste, construction materials and grass clippings— in the dumpsters. These items can contaminate the recyclable materials, making it more costly to recycle.
About one in four items put into recycling bins across Texas is not recyclable, according to a 2017 study on the economic impacts of recycling in Texas conducted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Fulshear’s contamination rate ranges from 26.5%-31%, according to city officials.
