Mayor rejects proposal to expand Houston's recycling

Mayor Annise Parker on Wednesday shot down a proposal from her Solid Waste director that would have extended the city's popular single-stream recycling program to every Houston home.

The program, in which users can dump paper, plastic, aluminum and even glass into one 96-gallon bin that is picked up in automated fashion by a truck, now reaches 25 percent of Houston households.

To reach 100 percent, Hayes told City Council, would require a $3.50 monthly garbage fee.

Houston is among the only major U.S. cities that does not charge citizens extra for garbage pickup, and although Hayes has tried to persuade two mayors — Parker and former Mayor Bill White — to join the others, Parker made it clear that Houston would be doing no such thing.

She told the council that although Hayes may continue to try to persuade her and others, she does not support the idea.