Balcones plans $60M MRF in northern Texas

The City Council of McKinney, Texas, approved an ordinance Aug. 15 awarding Balcones Recycling the city’s 15-year municipal recycling contract.

Balconesn Resources, Austin, Texas, will build and operate a 120,000-square-foot, $60 million material recovery facility (MRF) serving McKinney and surrounding north Texas communities. The recycling campus will combine the latest innovations in recycling technology with employee wellness and community engagement programs, according to the company.

“This project is over a decade in the making,” Balcones Resources President Adam Vehik says. “We’ve had operations in the area since the early ’90s and are excited for the significant environmental and economic impact this state-of-the-art facility will bring to the North Texas community.”

The facility will open its doors in spring 2026.

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The new Balcones facility is custom-engineered to exceed McKinney’s diversion goals, the company says. Balcones will prioritize recovery rates higher than 95 percent, employee safety and quality control. All recycled commodities will be marketed in North America, prioritizing Texas-based companies.

“This recycling campus represents Balcones’ vision for material recovery,” Vehik says. “As a recycling-only company, we focus on achieving the highest recovery rates growth, and we design systems that remain flexible to adapt in the future as the recycling landscape changes.”

Balcones will create approximately 53 new full-time environmental jobs to operate the facility. On-site resources will include energy conservation design, including solar panels, passive lighting, native landscaping and electric charging stations and drop-off options for recyclables outside of the city program.

The facility also will feature the most advanced sortation technology available, the company says.

Balcones has had a municipal recycling contract with the city of Austin since 2012 and is set to open a new facility in San Antonio in 2024. The North Texas facility will be the company’s ninth MRF and the fifth in Texas.

Established in 1994, Balcones is among the leading independent recycling companies in the country and is committed to diverting recyclables away from landfills and producing best-in-class quality material for new products. Services include education and outreach initiatives focused on increasing recycling participation and promoting a circular economy.