Houston rolled out nine new recycling trucks to ease service delays, and Mayor Whitmire is pushing for a recycling fee to fund more improvements.
HOUSTON — Monday morning, nine brand-new recycling trucks are hitting Houston streets in an effort to finally get collection service back on schedule.
The trucks, lined up at the city’s northeast service center, are so new they don’t even have paint on them yet. Mayor John Whitmire is expected to greet solid waste crews as they head out on their first routes, calling this rollout a critical first step toward fixing the city’s recycling problems.
For months, missed pickups and weeks-long delays have left residents frustrated. City leaders admit the fleet had become unreliable, with too many trucks breaking down and not enough available to cover routes.
The addition of nine trucks is expected to ease the backlog, but Whitmire says more will be needed to create lasting improvements. He’s proposing a recycling fee, something most major U.S. cities already have, to provide dedicated funding. The mayor argues it would ensure the city can maintain its fleet, avoid service interruptions, and keep Houston on par with other large cities.
For now, leaders say today’s rollout is a step in the right direction, giving employees much-needed equipment to better serve Houston neighborhoods.
Got a news tip or story idea? Text it to us at 713-526-1111.