McAllen city leaders are working to expand the city's recycling center.

It's part of a larger effort to process more material from around the Rio Grande Valley.

Currently, workers have to manually sort through recycled material that is placed in blue bins. A process city officials say has become too time-consuming.

The city recently purchased new equipment to help sort through recyclables much faster.

"We are an outsource. We currently have really great partnerships with Pharr, with Mission, with Sharyland, with Weslaco, with San Juan, even Harlingen and Brownsville bring their materials to the city of McAllen," McAllen Public Works Director Elvira Alonza said.

McAllen city leaders hope to work with nearby cities to help them sort through their recycled trash.