Lee County will hold an open house-style public information meeting about a proposed Material Recycling Facility from 4 to 6 p.m. March 21 at Gateway Trinity Lutheran Church, 11381 Gateway Blvd., in Fort Myers. The meeting will allow residents to learn more about the project, speak one-on-one with Lee County staff and subject matter experts, and provide an opportunity for the county to answer residents’ questions.

The proposed new MRF will be where all the county’s household and business recycling materials are processed. This includes handling clean bottles, cans, paper, cardboard and plastic containers. It will be a fully indoor operation; trucks will tip the materials inside, machinery will be inside and rolling stock will be inside. Only recycling materials—not garbage, hazardous waste or yard debris—will be handled at this site, and inbound materials will be inspected regularly.

 The facility is needed to plan for Lee County’s growth as population increases toward 1 million residents. Solid Waste’s current MRF is projected to reach capacity for processing materials.  

The MRF is planned for a 50-acre industrial parcel near State Road 82 adjacent to the former Gulf Coast Landfill. It will be set back more than 1,000 feet from any homes, and berms and landscaping are planned in the buffer between the property line and the facility. The county could potentially close on the property purchase in May, with construction tentatively planned to begin in 2028.