HOUSTON — The City of Houston has delayed plans to switch its heavy trash pickup program from scheduled monthly routes to an on-demand service, city officials confirmed this week.
The change, which was originally set to take effect Monday, has been placed on hold “until further notice,” according to Larius Hassen, director of the city’s solid waste department.
Under the proposed system, residents would request up to four heavy trash pickups per year instead of placing bulky waste on the curb during a designated monthly collection schedule. City leaders said the shift is intended to make the service more predictable and reduce unnecessary driving by collection crews.
John Whitmire said the city is still working to properly implement the system before launching it.
“We want to do it right instead of quick,” Whitmire said, adding that department leaders are testing the request system and putting additional resources in the field.
The delay comes as the city’s 311 service center reported an increase in requests related to missed heavy trash pickups. Over the past four weeks, the center logged more than 2,600 requests — up from about 1,200 during the same period last year. A spokesperson for the mayor, however, said those figures include duplicate calls and do not reflect the total work completed by crews.
City officials have acknowledged ongoing challenges within the City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department, including staffing shortages and operational issues.
Budget changes last year reduced the department’s funding by about $5.9 million after an early retirement program led to the departure of dozens of workers, including several truck drivers and equipment operators.
The city council has since approved roughly $26 million to purchase 62 new trucks, many of which are being deployed on recycling routes.
Julian Ramirez said the department has made progress but continues to face difficulties meeting service demands across the city.
Meanwhile, Amy Peck said heavy trash service delays remain a citywide issue and that exploring new approaches — including an on-demand system — may help improve the program.
