Advancing the Circular Economy in North Texas
Mar 31, 2025 08:58AM ● By Bernice Butler
by Martin Miron
There are many models for studying climate change that include energy efficiency, recycling, conservation, stewardship and others, but they can be combined into the concept known as the circular economy, where nothing is wasted, only transformed into another stage of the cycle.
According to Bruce Magnuson, of FCC Environmental Services, “Public education and accountability are key to improving recycling efforts. Programs that continuously engage residents such as interactive workshops and school initiatives help prevent backsliding. For example, the city of Fort Worth’s “Reverse Vending Machine” initiative rewards residents for recycling correctly. Ensuring people understand how to keep their waste out of landfills will be essential for North Texas’ success in advancing the circular economy.
“The city of San Antonio encourages residents to recycle correctly by promoting proper recycling practices. On collection day, inspectors check bins to ensure only appropriate items are included. Residents receive warnings if contaminants are found initially, and fines are issued for consistent violation’. This proactive approach has greatly improved the purity of the city's recycling stream
“Inconsistent recycling guidelines across municipalities create confusion and increase contamination. Regional standardization, such as a unified material acceptance list across North Texas, would help. For example, the North Central Texas Council of Governments has worked to align waste management policies across cities. FCC Environmental Services supports efforts to create clearer, more uniform recycling programs that benefit both residents and businesses.
“Public education is essential, starting from elementary school through adulthood. Successful programs incorporate gamification, incentives, and partnerships with local businesses. Residents are more motivated when they understand the economic impact— higher recycling rates extend landfill lifespans, keeping disposal costs low. Given that Texas landfills have an average remaining lifespan of X years, it is in everyone’s best interest to improve recycling habits. FCC Environmental Services is committed to working with communities to expand outreach and education efforts.
“Up to 40 percent of landfill waste could be recycled, with materials like glass, textiles, and e-waste being significantly under-recovered. Establishing better collection programs or possibly investing in local material recovery facilities (MRF), could potentially reduce unnecessary landfill waste while supporting the local economy.
Marcos Estrada, manager of Outreach and Communications for Dallas Sanitation Services, explains, “From the city of Dallas's viewpoint, we see potential for growing the circular economy by encouraging more residents to recycle consistently and correctly, reducing recycling contamination and introducing composting for organic materials. We also see a future opportunity to divert a significant amount of organic material from landfilling by restructuring the city’s brush and bulky item collection program to allow for vegetative waste to be collected separately and diverted for mulching and composting.
“Our single-stream recycling program has been effective because it’s simple and convenient for Dallas residents to use. However, we still have work to do. We'd like to see more people recycling regularly, and we need to tackle contamination issues, especially with plastic bags. Improving community education and clear communication will help us make our recycling program even better.
“Working together is key to advancing circular economy goals. We’ve seen great success with partnerships between the city, local businesses and residents, especially through initiatives like our Green Business Certification program. By continuing to encourage collaboration, keeping open communication, and inviting feedback, we can make sure our sustainability programs are responsive and effective for everyone.
“Educating the community and getting residents involved is essential if we want to boost recycling rates and reduce waste. We’ve found that clear, consistent messaging through workshops, social media and school programs helps people understand exactly what can and can’t be recycled. Face-to-face or grassroots approaches are particularly effective because they build personal connections, but they're hard to scale up to reach everyone, so we’re combining those with broader communication methods to reach more people.
“One area we think deserves more attention in North Texas is expanding commercial recycling opportunities, especially by making recycling easier and more uniform at retail locations. Right now, recycling guidelines and available options can differ widely depending on where you shop or which city you're in, which can cause confusion. By working with retailers to develop consistent recycling practices, clearly marked recycling stations and improved infrastructure, we can make recycling something consumers can conveniently do while shopping, and making it easier to recycle packaging and products once they bring them home.
“If you’re looking to contribute more actively, Dallas encourages businesses, community groups and individuals to incorporate circular economy practices into everyday life. Simple actions like conducting waste audits, choosing sustainable products, participating in local recycling or composting programs and continually sharing knowledge about sustainability can make a meaningful impact. Together, adopting these principles helps Dallas become more sustainable and resilient.”
