Houston Launches Six-Week Composting Pilot Program

HOUSTON, TX — Houston is getting a trial run for a potential city composting program.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced a six-week composting pilot program for Houston residents Wednesday.

The program is a collaboration between Houston's Solid Waste Management Department and the Mayor's Office of Resilience and Sustainability. Its aim is to inform residents of the benefits of composting and keeping food waste out of landfills. The program will help the city gauge public interest as well as gather data about organics diversion.

Live in Houston? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free mobile app on Android or iPhone.

Houston residents, businesses and institutions generate roughly 6.2 million tons of solid waste per year, according to a 2020 report by the Solid Waste Management Department. The anaerobic decomposition of food waste in landfills produces methane, a harmful greenhouse gas.

"Expanding composting opportunities in Houston aligns with the city's Climate Action Plan, Resilient Houston, and the Solid Waste Department's draft long-range plan," Turner said in a news release. "Whether it’s in our homes or our farms, composting helps to reduce organic wastes, which in return, helps to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.”

The program program will feature weekly drop-offs at three Houston locations:

Kashmere Gardens Multi-Service Center, 4802 Lockwood Drive

• Open six Saturdays from Oct. 23-Nov. 27, 9-11 a.m.

The Historic Heights Fire Station, 107 W. 12th St.

• Open six Wednesdays from Oct. 20-Nov. 24, 5-7 p.m.

Houston Botanic Garden, 1 Botanic Lane

• Open six Saturdays from Oct. 23-Nov. 27, 9-11 a.m.

Zero Waste Houston and Moonshot Composting are the vendors for the program and will collect residents' compost at the drop-off locations at no cost to the city, according to the release.