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FCC Environmental reports fewer missed collections, adds local call center for Buncombe County
Summary
FCC Environmental, the county contractor for curbside trash and recycling in unincorporated Buncombe County, reported improved route performance, higher recycling tonnage and a new local call center; company representatives said staffing and route adjustments drove recent gains.
FCC Environmental representatives told the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on July 15 that missed-collection rates have fallen, recycling tonnage is up for the first quarter of 2025, and a local call center is now handling customer service calls.
Louis Knight, FCC Environmental representative, said the company averaged "22 calls a day" through June and that "as of July 1, all calls are now being answered through the local site." He said FCC added four on-site customer-service representatives, retained four dispatchers and maintains an on-site billing agent to manage escalations and reduce transfers to out-of-state call centers.
Knight provided operational context for missed stops, saying a staffing shortfall in mid-June produced a spike that corrected the following week after relief drivers returned. He also described two "swing drivers" assigned to routes to reduce repeat misses and daily verification of route completions using GPS tracking and the company’s third-eye mapping system.
FCC reported serving 38,233 subscribers for trash and recycling in unincorporated Buncombe County, compared with 36,483 customers served by the previous hauler. Knight said the subscriber count is continuing to grow based on carts delivered and route registrations.
On recycling, FCC said January–March 2025 tonnage was 533.7 tons versus 415.7 tons for the same period in 2024 — "118 tons more recycled in the first quarter," Knight said — which the company attributed to having the right trucks and equipment on designated recycling routes.
The company also highlighted community outreach steps, noting its first of four planned town-hall events took place June 26 in Fairview and another was scheduled for July 24 at Ferguson Auditorium.
Commissioners thanked FCC for the local call center change and for improvements in responsiveness. Commissioner Ball said she had toured FCC operations and described being "impressed with their operation" and with steps to correct missed pickups.
