City of Longview recycling returns with new restrictions on plastics
Published 5:40 am Monday, June 29, 2026
The city of Longview’s recycling services will return this week, but fewer kinds of plastics will be accepted.
Recycling had been paused for a couple of weeks while the company that the city works with to accept and process recyclables – Northeast Texas Regional Materials Recovery Facility – made some updates at its Kilgore facility.
Mayor Kristen Ishihara announced at the close of this past week’s City Council meeting that Northeast Texas MRF would no longer accept all plastic recyclables.
It will now accept three types of plastics – those labeled as Nos. 1, 2 and 5.
In a Facebook video the city of Longview shared, Todd Lucas, general manager of Northeast Texas MRF, said those recyclables account for 85% to 90% of the materials it receives.
Ishihara apologized for the change, but said the city has to work with the “recycling partner we have.”
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“We are working hard to keep the recycling program in Longview,” she said.
Only plastics labeled No. 1, No. 2 and No. 5 will be accepted in curbside recycling bins. All other plastics should go into trash carts.
The program will continue to accept paper and cardboard for recycling.
Here are examples of each number of plastic:
Plastics No. 1: Water bottles, sports drinks and soda bottles
Plastics No. 2: Milk jugs and detergent bottles
Plastics No. 5: Cottage cheese containers sour cream containers and yogurt containers