Fort Worth officials are working on improvements to residential trash pickups in response to public complaints and monthslong issues with missed collections.
For example, Waste Management is repairing 30 service trucks to reduce missed waste collections, said Jim Keezell, assistant director of the environmental services department, at an Aug. 5 City Council meeting.
Council member Charlie Lauersdorf said he’s noticed a change in waste collection services.
“I see it with the nicer trucks now, and I see a difference,” Lauersdorf said.
The trucks were acquired from Knight Waste Services, a company that previously subcontracted to provide services in the city for more than 20 years. Waste Management took over all the city’s routes on Dec. 9 after council members voted in May 2024 to eliminate its requirement with the company to hire a minority- or women-owned business as a subcontractor.
Knight Waste Services, the sole minority-owned business responsible for picking up trash in Fort Worth, shut down operations following the decision to cut the contract requirement.
Council members at the time said removing the requirement would reduce resident complaints and streamline operations for Waste Management.
Other improvements include modified routes and city staff receiving daily updates from the company regarding any missed pickups, Keezell added.
“We’re working with (Waste Management) diligently to improve service,” he said.
The city reported an average of about 2,500 missed residential waste collections monthly between January and June, the latest data shows. That includes garbage, recycling and yard waste.
The monthly average for 2025 to date mirrors the monthly average of missed residential waste collections between October 2023 — when missed collections began to spike — and January 2025, a month after Waste Management took over all routes.
However, resident collections specifically for garbage currently average between 1,300 and 1,400 missed collections per month, Keezell said. From October 2023 to January 2025, missed monthly garbage collections averaged about 1,110, according to data obtained by the Fort Worth Report in February.
Contractors should not exceed 1,100 missed collections per month under industry standards, environmental services department director Cody Whittenburg said during a 2024 City Council meeting.
Environmental services assistant director Jim Keezell speaks at a Fort Worth City Council meeting Aug. 5, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
The current monthly average reflects a 99.5% success rate in residential garbage collections, Keezell said. Waste Management is tasked with collecting trash from 54,000 homes a day and makes 3 million service attempts — including bulk, recycling and yard waste — per month, Keezell said.
A shortage of commercial drivers also contributes to missed collections, said Steve Keller, public sector manager for Waste Management
“It is a monumental task that we undertake every day,” Keller said. “We had an incredible uphill battle to take over what we took over less than a year ago at the council’s direction.”
About 80% of Knight Waste Service’s staff took job opportunities offered by Waste Management during the transition, Keller added.
“We could not have made the transition without those folks,” he said.
Council member Chris Nettles requested city staff to return later this year with an updated report as waste collection trucks continue to undergo maintenance.
“I appreciate your empathy, but people still want their trash picked up,” Nettles said.
Council member Deborah Peoples said she’s received three different complaints about missed waste collections since being sworn into office in May.
“We made this decision to ensure every citizen in Fort Worth can receive quality service,” said Nettles, citing the minority- and women-owned business requirement. “We’re trending that way, I want to make sure we continue that.”
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
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