Solid Waste Management Department

Groundbreaking of New State-of-the-art Recycling Facility FCC Environmental Services

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

City of Houston 

 
Harry J. Hayes, Director
For more information, please contact:
City of Houston Solid Waste Management
Sylvester Turner, Mayor

Irma Reyes, Public Information Officer
(832) 393-0475 office 
irma.reyes@houstontx.gov 

Tyra Wilkins
(832) 393-0448 office
tyra.wilkins@houstontx.gov 

   

July 10, 2018 – The City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department celebrated a groundbreaking on the new Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, Inc. (FCC) Material Recovery Facility (MRF). The facility will be FCC’s second MRF in Texas, and its most advanced facility. The MRF will be of a state-of-the-art design and showcase the latest in sorting technology.

The plant will be designed to accept and effectively sort glass containers and plastic bags. “The citizens of Houston have asked to bring back curbside glass recycling, once the facility opens in 2019 we will begin the service once again.” Said Harry Hayes, Director of Solid Waste.

City Council approved the contract and partnership with FCC in January 2018. The facility has a 145,000 ton per year capacity, which is more than double the current needs of the City and is expected to create 100 permanent fulltime jobs.

“This is the cornerstone for an extremely ambitious project that is going to be a game changer for the City of Houston. It’s environmental, its sustainability and the future for the generations,” FCC’s CEO Inigo Sanz said.

The City will reduce its maximum risk exposure on the cost of recycling from $92.04/ton with the current contracted vendors to only $19/ton. This represents a nearly 80% reduction, and is less than the current cost of landfilling trash in the Houston market.

“City of Houston recycling will be more robust and we’ll cover more materials once this facility is open’ Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “The facility will allow us to continue recycling far into the future. Houston will lead the country when it comes to recycling.”

For more information about SWMD and our services, visit us at www.houstonsolidwaste.org, “LIKE” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/houstonsolidwaste, follow us on Twitter @houstontrash, or call 3-1-1, the City of Houston’s Customer Service Helpline.

ABOUT HOUSTON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

The Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) provides solid waste services to the citizens of Houston through the collection, disposal and recycling of discarded material in a manner that is safe, efficient, environmentally sound and cost-effective.