May 21

Houston will move forward with a permanent green waste recycling program following a successful six-month pilot project.

City council approved an ordinance to award Living Earth Technology Co. a contract to handle yard trimmings, tree limbs, branches and stumps, for the Houston Solid Waste Management Department. Living Earth will process the material into mulch and compost.

The city will begin a tree waste recycling program that will divert at least 20 percent of the waste from the landfill, said Mayor Bill White. During a six-month pilot project, Houston saved $131,200 in avoided landfill costs by recycling green waste, said Harry J. Hayes, director of the solid waste management department.

Contact Waste News reporter Joe Truini at (330) 865-6166 or jtruini@crain.com

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