Solid Waste Management Department
Mayor Annise Parker Delivers on Promise Goal Met of City Wide Automated Curbside Recycling
| NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | February 26, 2015 | ||||
City of Houston |
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| Harry J. Hayes, Director | Annise D. Parker, Mayor | ||||
For more information, please contact: Sandra Jackson Irma Reyes |
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Mayor Annise Parker personally delivered 96-gal recycling carts to residents in the Southeast community of Pecan Park, fulfilling the goal of city-wide automated curbside recycling for all residents with City of Houston solid waste collection. Council Member Robert Gallegos and City officials were also on hand to celebrate the final expansion and success of the Automated Recycling Program (ARP). As a co-chair of the 2007 Solid Waste Task Force, then City Controller Annise Parker submitted diversion solutions designed to save taxpayers money and preserve valuable landfill air space. One of the solutions, implementation of a city-wide automated curbside recycling program, is now a reality. “It took close to six years and eight phases but slowly and strategically, we built upon the success of each rollout and reinvested the dollars saved into the next expansion, fulfilling a promise I made to bring city-wide automated curbside recycling collection to Houston residents,” said Mayor Parker. “Since inception of the pilot program in 2009, there has been significant momentum to increase automated recycling as Houstonians expressed interest in participating in such a convenient and cost-effective service,” said Chief Operating Officer and Director of the Solid Waste Management Department, Harry Hayes. In addition to the Automated Recycling Program, Mayor Parker implemented several other recycling initiatives during her terms in office including opening two new Neighborhood Depository & Recycling Centers, opening the Reuse Warehouse which diverts building material from the landfill, implementing the Business Recycling Program, implementing the Compostable Bag Program, installing Big Belly Solar Compactors and building partnerships with the private sector, such as Living Earth to recycle yard and tree waste, Cherry Companies to recycle concrete, the Houston Furniture Bank to recycle mattresses, CompuCycle to recycle electronics, the Carton Council to recycle shelf-stable & refrigerated cartons and American Textile Recycling Services to recycle textiles, clothes and shoes. For more information about the City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department and its services, please log on to www.houstonsolidwaste.org, like us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/houstonsolidwaste or call the City of Houston Customer Service Line at 3-1-1. Sandra Jackson |
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