We had a lot of recycling this week:
The total amount was more than usual – Tiffany had a pile of plastic flowerpots to dispose of (which we now can do), and we had extra paper this week because we’d forgotten to put it out the previous time – but overflowing the bin is not unusual. Almost every time, the bin is full before we bring the paper out. And even though we’ve got a kid in diapers at home, between recycling and composting we usually have no more in the huge garbage can the city supplies than we do in that green bin. If we could put out glass and more types of cardboard (currently, I haul glass to the city collection site on Center Street, and cardboard to All Saints Church, which collects all kinds of cardboard for recycling), the green bin would almost always win.
So from my perspective, at least, it would be nice if that green bin were bigger, and if we were allowed to put more stuff in it. I feel confident that day will come, I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.
It’s really ridiculous that you have such recycling difficulties in Houston.
Here in Waco (which is no Berkeley or Boulder) we have universal free curbside recycling. In fact, I have 3 color-coded garbage bins. A brown one for regular garbage, a blue one for recycling, and a green one for yard waste. All three bins are the large 90-gallon wheeled bins that are emptied mechanically by the trucks. Here’s a picture:
http://www.waco-texas.com/city_depts/solidwaste/residential.htm
The trucks carrying the brown garbage go to the landfill. The trucks carrying the blue recycling deliver to a central sorting station where recyclables are sorted by machine and and. The green yard waste trucks deliver to a composting facility. The resulting compost is bagged and sold by the city.
Why is that so hard for Houston? It’s not like Waco is any more densely populated or progressive than Houston.
We have NO recycling down here. NONE.
We started a program at the school, so we can drop paper and plastic there (and paper earns money for the school) and we have to drive to Ellington for glass. Downtown for the rest. Downtown HOUSTON. That’s like a 3 hour trip.
I wouldn’t hold my breath for improvement in Houston, though.
Austin is modeling itself on San Francisco and Mayor Gavin Newsom’s program, which rocks.
Also, next time, ask your local school if they need any pots. A lot of people donate plants for different school gardening projects, and the pots are useful for that.
We use donated pots from a local nursery for arbor day projects (have ten trees going in our drive right now) and for pond plants.
We have NO recycling down here. NONE.
We started a program at the school, so we can drop paper and plastic there (and paper earns money for the school) and we have to drive to Ellington for glass. Downtown for the rest. Downtown HOUSTON. That’s like a 3 hour trip.
I wouldn’t hold my breath for improvement in Houston, though.
Austin is modeling itself on San Francisco and Mayor Gavin Newsom’s program, which rocks.
Also, next time, ask your local school if they need any pots. A lot of people donate plants for different school gardening projects, and the pots are useful for that.
We use donated pots from a local nursery for arbor day projects (have ten trees going in our drive right now) and for pond plants.
The first step in recycling is to consider what will be disposed of when you buy something. If there is nothing to dispose of, there is nothing to recycle. This is more green than recycling.