Flower Mound pilot green-waste collection shows high satisfaction but limited participation

At its March 4 meeting the Flower Mound Environmental Conservation Commission heard results of a Republic Services green-waste pilot covering about 4,000 households and two months of collections.

The pilot, presented by Jerry Harwell, municipal manager who oversees the town—s contract with Republic Services, was run on one route per service day in October and November. Harwell said the program used mulch bags for residents and that collected material was taken to Living Earth and Flower Mound for processing. "The average green waste was less than 1 cubic yard per home per collection," Harwell said.

Commissioners and staff framed the pilot as an early test and focused on three takeaways: participation, operational cost and resident convenience. Harwell said total participating households in the pilot area exceeded 4,000, and that weekly collection produced roughly 87 cubic yards in October and 78 cubic yards in November. The pilot returned a small number of completed surveys: Harwell said the town received 38 survey responses from residents in the pilot area.

Staff and Republic representatives also flagged operational limits. Harwell noted the program required additional truck stops on routes, potential new vehicles and employees, and that each collection truck burns about "3 to 4 gallons of diesel per hour per truck." The town discussed alternatives such as a third green cart at households (which would add an estimated $3 -$5 to residential rates) and seasonal-only collection windows. Harwell said the program attempted to get demographic spread by choosing one route per service day and that the town tracked participation by route and day.

Commissioners pressed on behavior and cost. One member asked whether households would still put green waste in regular trash if they were billed for the program but did not participate; Harwell answered that regular trash would still be emptied and go to the landfill while residents would still pay for the green-waste service if it were made universal. Commissioners also discussed resident practices such as mulching leaves back into yards; staff and a commissioner said public education would be an important part of any rollout.

The pilot survey results were largely positive among respondents: Harwell said satisfaction measures were high and that nearly 90% of respondents indicated interest in pursuing a townwide green-waste program, but he and commissioners said the survey response rate was too small to generalize. Commissioners recommended additional outreach and further trials (different seasons or different collection methods) before the town council takes up any program-wide change. Harwell said staff will present program options to town council after additional analysis.

Ending

Staff noted the pilot—s data were preliminary and suggested more outreach and testing before changing curbside service or rates. Town staff asked commissioners for input on messaging and education; a follow-up presentation on options was expected before council consideration.