HOUSTON – Houston residents continue to face significant delays in recycling collection, with some areas reporting waits exceeding the city’s officially acknowledged seven-day delay period.
The challenges come in the wake of Solid Waste Management Director Mark Wilfalk’s recent resignation, marking another setback for the city’s troubled waste management program.
Wilfalk, who led the department since his appointment by Mayor Sylvester Turner in October 2021, stepped down after failing to implement his proposed monthly fee system for garbage and recycling collection.
“Our success rate... that’s more of a systemic issue,” Wilfalk said in an interview before his departure.
He had advocated for a monthly collection fee similar to those implemented in other major Texas cities, including Dallas and San Antonio.
Houston’s recycling program has other issues too.
Approximately 250 tons of collected recyclables, equivalent to 25 fully loaded 18-wheelers, are sitting idle at a northwest side private company yard. This material remains unprocessed while awaiting the completion of a new recycling plant, expected to open next year.
Mounting service challenges
Houston’s waste management struggles extend beyond recycling delays.
The department faced over 33,000 complaints about missed garbage pickup last year, according to city records. The systemic issues stem from inadequate funding and persistent staffing shortages.
Proposed solutions stalled
To add more staff and functioning equipment, Wilfalk wanted to charge city residents a fee for collection services, somewhere in the neighborhood of $25, he said. That rate is significantly lower than Dallas’s $40 monthly rate. However, the proposal has yet to gain traction under the current administration.
Leadership transition
The city has appointed an interim official while conducting a search for a new Solid Waste Management director. The incoming leader will face the challenge of addressing both immediate collection delays and long-term systemic issues affecting the department’s operations.
