HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has announced the return of curbside recycling of bottles and jars made from clear, green and brown glass.
City officials said the mayor made the announcement during the official grand opening of a state-of-the-art recycling facility Thursday.
After a pause for two years, the resumption of curbside glass recycling is made possible by Houston's new recycling contractor, Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, Inc., city officials said. FCC built the recycling facility in northeast Houston.
Houston City Council selected FCC in 2018 after considering several proposals from competing recycling companies. According to the city, the FCC agreement saves taxpayers millions in recycling costs and expands the type of materials the city's Solid Waste Department can collect curbside.
"I promised residents we would bring glass containers back to curbside recycling bins, and I kept that promise," Turner said. "My thanks go to residents for their patience, to City Council for approving the FCC contract in 2018 and to Director Harry Hayes and his team at Solid Waste."
City officials said glass and other items accepted in the recycling cart, including paper, cardboard, aluminum, tin cans and plastics, should be clean, dry and empty before recycling.
The FCC facility opened in March. City officials said it has a 145,000 ton per year capacity, which is more than double the current needs of the city.
"Today, we were able to show the world that the commitment made by FCC to the city of Houston and to the residents of Houston has come to fruition," FCC Environmental Services USA CEO Inigo Sanz said. "The MRF, a colossal facility at 120,000 SF, is already open and processing residential materials. Thank you to the mayor and the rest of ... Houston that believed in creating a facility fit for the future."
"We are so proud to have officially opened the Houston MRF. This milestone is the first of many to come from our partnership with our home, the city of Houston," FCC Group CEO Pablo Colio said. "We will continue our commitment to the city, education and the local communities, because a greener future matters to all."
Turner announced FCC will provide job opportunities for “second chance” and homeless residents. Half of the workers on the sorting staff are in the second chance category.
City officials said that for noncurbside customers, glass continues to be accepted at the city's Recycling Drop-Off Centers listed below:
Neighborhood depository/recycling centers locations:
- North: 9003 N. Main St.
- Northwest: 14400 Sommermeyer St.
- Northeast: 5565 Kirkpatrick Blvd.
- Southeast: 2240 Central St.
- South: 5100 Sunbeam St.
- Southwest: 10785 S.W. Freeway
Neighborhood recycling drop-Off locations:
- Westpark: 5900 Westpark Drive
- Ellington Airport/Clear Lake: 246 Loop Road
- Kingwood: 3210 W. Lake Houston Parkway