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Copperas Cove reviews recycling costs, proposes recycling supervisor and explores Fort Hood partnership
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Summary
City staff told council the recycling program is reducing contamination but processing fees are rising; staff proposed a dedicated recycling supervisor, continued outreach in schools, and renewed talks with Fort Hood to reduce hauling costs.
City staff on April 21 told the Copperas Cove city council that recycling participation and education efforts have reduced contamination but rising processing fees and transportation remain major budget drivers, and they urged the council to support a new recycling supervisor and continued pursuit of a closer processing partner.
Scott Osborne, assistant city manager and director of public works, opened the presentation as “the long‑awaited recycling program update fiscal year 25/26,” and credited outreach by Anna Rodriguez of the public information office and Larry Scott, the city's solid waste director. Anna said outreach had generated “over 16,000 engagements for recycling education” through events and school visits, and staff described K–12 field trips to the transfer station and Eco Harvest activities designed to build recycling habits.
Staff presented audit results showing roughly 60% of route cans participate in curbside recycling. Osborne summarized fiscal‑year 2025 audits as 4,160 inspected cans with 647 found contaminated (about 15.5%), and said partial FY26 audits (1,135 cans) produced 131 contamination charges (about 11.5%). Those numbers were offered by staff as evidence that education and targeted enforcement have reduced contamination from earlier levels.
The presentation included a cost breakdown for processing and hauling recyclables. Osborne said the city's MRF processor in Waco (SunBright) charged approximately $60 per ton in fiscal 2025 (about $62,000 for processing that year) and that hauling to Waco added roughly $55,500. He summarized the combined disposal component at about $117,800 and noted other line items (collection, equipment and personnel) when comparing recycling to landfill disposal. “SunBright recycling is going up this fiscal year from $60 to $80 a ton,” Osborne said, and staff warned that commodity‑market swings and processor fees are likely to keep overall recycling costs higher than simple landfill disposal in the near term.
Larry Scott said the city is recruiting a dedicated recycling supervisor to improve operational efficiency, conduct route audits, lower contamination and expand program options. “A dedicated recycling supervisor role is being established,” he said; the position, he added, is intended to increase diversion rates, reduce operational costs through route optimization and strengthen community engagement with schools and events.
Staff also briefed council on renewed regional talks about carrying recyclables to Fort Hood. Osborne and the city manager said Fort Hood public‑works officials and garrison leadership have signaled interest, but earlier efforts stalled after a Department of the Army attorney advised that federal regulations would need to be amended to allow off‑post deliveries. Council and staff said they will continue to pursue congressional and intergovernmental options, and that securing a Fort Hood processing agreement could materially lower hauling costs.
Looking ahead, Osborne reviewed a solid waste complex master plan that includes a potential standalone municipal recycling center in a later CIP phase. He said a dedicated local facility could reduce contamination, improve material quality, raise resale value and defer transfer‑station expansion for a decade or more, although it would entail significant upfront capital.
No formal vote was taken. Staff said next steps include continuing recruitment for the recycling supervisor, targeted education and contamination enforcement, and further outreach to Fort Hood and potential local processing partners.
