{"id":316541,"date":"2025-10-19T17:54:18","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T17:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/316541\/"},"modified":"2025-10-19T17:54:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T17:54:18","slug":"more-people-more-trash-fort-worth-looks-for-balance-as-growth-strains-landfill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/316541\/","title":{"rendered":"More people, more trash. Fort Worth looks for balance as growth strains landfill"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most people understand that trash needs to go somewhere, but a rapidly growing North Texas faces increasing challenges on where to put the waste that comes from more residents, businesses and construction.<\/p>\n

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This is part of the Report\u2019s special 1 Million & Counting growth series, which will be published on Mondays into October. The reporting will lead to a growth summit Oct. 23 at the downtown Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus.<\/p>\n

Take a recent plan to build a landfill in Lake Worth<\/a> to process Tarrant County-area waste from construction and demolition projects, much of that stemming from booming growth. Residents near the Silver Creek neighborhood and elected officials opposed the project, saying they worried how local water sources, such as the nearby lake, would be impacted by runoff from the trash.<\/p>\n

The developer ultimately withdrew its application, but residents and others say that the northwest area of Tarrant County is still being eyed by industrial developers. Their concerns are part of a larger ask by the community that new developments \u2014 from housing to landfills \u2014 be approached with minimal impact on the environment, housing and transportation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to get more crowded, and it\u2019s coming,\u201d Silver Creek resident Don Brewer said. \u201cChange is coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Population increases and growing development in and around Tarrant County are adding strain to waste management and landfill capacity \u2014 including at Fort Worth\u2019s only dump site, which is expected to max out in about a decade, almost 30 years sooner than expected.<\/p>\n

This year, Fort Worth reached 1 million residents. Estimates show Tarrant County will reach 2.8 million residents by 2040.<\/p>\n

By then, waste planners project, residents in the area are on track to generate about 70 million tons of trash. The planners examined patterns for the western side of North Texas, which includes eight counties, to predict waste and capacity over a two-decade period starting in 2022.<\/p>\n

Those predictions put the area\u2019s three landfills beyond their capacity of 63 million tons.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, planning for landfills takes time as it requires securing sites, navigating millions in costs to obtain an environmental permit and working with nearby residents. That process can take up to 20 years, waste industry officials say.<\/p>\n

Jim Lattimore\u2019s company has subcontracted with the city for over two decades to oversee the Fort Worth dump site, which is along the southeastern part of the city near Kennedale.<\/p>\n

Fort Worth city officials and contractors do \u201ceverything they can\u201d to maximize its capacity, including compacting loose trash, Lattimore said. But population growth is one of the leading causes of landfills nearing closure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see any efforts right now toward permitting new capacity, and I think that\u2019s something that needs some attention,\u201d Lattimore said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Area leaders know more landfills will be needed as well as other solutions to deal with waste.<\/p>\n

\"(MariaLeft<\/strong>: Mounds created by trash are incorporated into the roadways of the landfill. Right<\/strong>: The Fort Worth skyline is visible from the southeast landfill on Oct. 2, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n

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This prompts local officials to be environmentally minded as developers with waste needs move into the area, said Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez who was at the forefront fighting the Lake Worth proposal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s only fair for developers, communities, government officials alike, to all have a solid idea and plan on where we see the development of our landfills, waste management facilities,\u201d Ramirez said. \u201cThere has to be a clear road map.\u201d<\/p>\n

Growth gradually increases Fort Worth\u2019s waste stream<\/p>\n

Rapidly rising population estimates prompted the North Central Texas Council of Governments to seek ways to more efficiently process waste and minimize landfilling.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are not going to stop creating trash, right? So it has to go somewhere,\u201d said Hannah Ordonez, a senior waste planner with the council.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2022, the council outlined recommendations for North Texas that included offering business incentives for using recyclable materials and for manufacturers that reduce excess packaging and single-use products.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But the strategies listed in the solid waste plan also require effort from local leaders to meet growing demands. For example, area city and county officials should work to expand landfills, minimize illegal dumping and encourage environmental stewardship, according to recommendations in the plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Other efforts could include attracting compost businesses <\/strong>and investing in recycling- and organic waste processing-focused positions at the city.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Which counties use the Western Region\u2019s municipal solid waste landfills?<\/strong><\/p>\n