A $4.8 million grant Fort Worth received to address trash demands will allow officials to launch educational and recycling programs, purchase equipment and improve facilities as they are looking for solutions amid a nearly maxed out landfill.
In December, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Fort Worth as a recipient of a $4.8 million grant from its Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant program.
The funds will support the city’s goal to increase recycling, according to city documents, diverting waste away from Fort Worth’s only landfill. City officials will use the funds to improve residential services and encourage drop-off recycling through projects such as educational programs and new recycling equipment, city documents state.
As of data from October, Fort Worth generated 374,000 tons of waste in 2025. That’s above the average amount of 350,000 tons of trash Fort Worth generated in each of the previous three years.
The city’s only landfill, located between Kennedale and Forest Hill, is permitted for 300 acres and receives about 940,000 tons of waste, processing trash from residents, commercial and other waste streams.
The grant award comes as city staff are exploring ways to extend the life of the Fort Worth landfill.
Fort Worth solid waste staffers meet daily with the company contracted with the city, WM — previously Waste Management — to monitor trash collections and equipment in response to the city’s rapid growth, environmental services director Cody Whittenburg previously told the Report.
The city reached a population of 1 million last year, becoming the 11th-largest city in the country. Projections estimate Fort Worth will see another 400,000 people move into the area by 2050.
As Fort Worth’s development and population boom, the city’s dump site is estimated to reach its maximum capacity by 2036. The landfill in southeast Fort Worth is one of three that serve eight counties in the western portion of North Texas.
Fort Worth officials are permitted to use the other two dump sites, one in Arlington and the other in Alvarado. However, longer commutes to landfills leads to more costs.
City leaders have previously explored the idea of a new landfill, Whittenburg told the Report. Such projects require securing permits that can take 15 to 20 years to obtain due to the time and costs that go into environmental studies, identifying an adequate site, design and construction.
A recent move to address Fort Worth’s growing waste includes its new recycling center, which debuted late October. The center, equipped with advanced technology, will process 144,000 tons of recyclable trash a year.
The facility supports the city’s dedication to addressing waste needs, Mayor Mattie Parker said at the event.
Environmental services staff are in the process of working with city and regional officials, collecting resident input and requesting feedback from solid waste companies to identify long-term waste solutions, according to city documents.
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
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Great Job Nicole Lopez & the Team @ Fort Worth Report for sharing this story.
