October 17, 2013 - The City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) is pleased to announce an additional 70,000 households (see list below) will be added to its popular automated curbside recycling program. As part of the expansion, residents in neighborhoods throughout Houston will receive one 96-gallon green automated cart similar to the black automated garbage cart.

“I’m thrilled that we are able to add 70,000 additional households to the Automated Recycling Program,” said Mayor Parker. “Residents have let us know loud and clear through their participation and support that this is a program they want. This is a significant step in a larger plan to expand recycling city-wide.“

“We’ve been able to grow the program by strategically taking the savings and revenue realized from one expansion and reinvesting it into each succeeding expansion,“ said Harry Hayes, SWMD Director. “Through this systematic approach of reinvestment, we’ve been able to grow the program from 10,000 households in 2009 to 210,000 current households, which is more than half of the homes in our service area.“

Cart delivery will begin the week of October 28, 2013, with the first collection occurring the week of November 25, 2013.

An additional expansion to 60,000 households is planned in the spring.

Recyclable items that can be placed in the containers include: newspapers, magazines, office paper, junk mail, cardboard, paperboard, paper bags, glass bottles and jars, aluminum cans, tin and steel cans and plastics 1 – 5 and 7.

Subdivisions included in the October/November 2013 curbside Automated Recycling Program expansion: