Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc. (GBB) announces that the Fort Worth City Council unanimously approved, after a public hearing at its September 12 meeting, a 20-Year Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan developed with the assistance of a GBB Project Team that included three Fort Worth, TX-based firms: Risa Weinberger & Associates, Inc., Arredondo, Zepeda & Brunz, LLC (AZ&B), and OCG+.
“This is a balanced, strategic, and effective long-term solid waste management plan that will serve as a blueprint to make Fort Worth greener, and further position the City as a sustainability leader in the local community and throughout the country,” stated Brandon Bennett, Code Compliance Director at the City of Fort Worth. “The GBB Project Team, along with Solid Waste Services Division staff led by Assistant Director Robert Smouse, worked closely with multiple and diverse stakeholders to successfully develop and fine-tune the plan that the Council ultimately approved. I’m excited to now turn to the implementation phase and see the entire Fort Worth community benefit from it.”
Key initiatives and goals of the Plan, which is available at www.fortworthtexas.gov/swplan, include preserving the City’s Southeast Landfill through diversion and recycling programs; establishing a Material Management Program to assist commercial businesses, industry and institutions with their efforts to increase recycling and decrease waste generation; furthering the City’s overall efforts toward increasing total diversion and expanding recycling programs; improving litter prevention and abatement programs and expanding the use of public containers; evaluating and implementing a pilot organics composting program; increasing educational programs and outreach efforts; improving and expending residential services; evaluating future developmental standards that expand diversion and recycling; and developing new programs with incentives that foster increased diversion or recovery of building construction and demolition materials.
“The City of Fort Worth has a tradition, going back almost 50 years, of being proactive in waste management. It operates an award-winning program and is dedicated to provide residents and businesses with enhanced opportunities to divert, recycle, and reuse,” said John Carlton, P.E., BCEE, GBB Senior Vice President and Project Manager for this assignment. “The city diverted 7% of its waste prior to 2003 and 24% in 2013. The approval of the plan is a very positive news in the process to achieve the city’s goal to divert 40% of residential waste away from the landfill through recycling and other programs.”
For more information, visit www.GBBinc.com