Properly recycling plastic bags and plastic film packaging diverts this material from landfills and keeps it out of the environment. Plastic film is generally not welcome in curbside recycling programs. These plastic film materials must therefore be taken to participating recycling drop-off sites, such as those available at retail stores and some municipal drop-off locations.
Light bulbs are tricky to recycle, as they require special care for safe handling. It can also be a challenge to find a place where they can be dropped off locally. Read on to learn the basics of how to manage these items in your home and find places to recycle them.
Did you know that propane tanks CANNOT go in your curbside recycle bin? Incorrectly disposing of these containers can cause injury to workers and damage to facilities. Read more to learn how to dispose of these items.
The construction and repair of buildings, homes, and other structures generates a great deal of waste. Construction and demolition recycling in Texas is a burgeoning $361 million industry in Texas. As the state’s population continues to grow, more C&D debris will be generated, creating even more opportunity to recycle.
It’s common knowledge that certain food scraps make good additions to your backyard compost bin, but those principles don't apply to the roadside.
Texas has a big recycling economy, and it needs more (and cleaner) feedstock to keep it running! One of the biggest challenges for manufacturers using recycled material feedstock is unpredictable quality. Some of the material that ends up in the recycling stream in Texas causes contamination, which can degrade the quality of recycled feedstocks or even make it unusable for manufacturers. You can help by recycling properly and buying recycled when possible.
Expanded polystyrene foam, also known by the trademarked name Styrofoam, is a challenging material to recycle. It’s used in many everyday applications and can harm wildlife if not disposed of properly. Fortunately, some Texas cities have begun recycling programs for this material. Read about the latest effort in Waco.
What Do I Do with Household Hazardous Waste?
Millions of Texans across the state have access to recycling programs, whether by rolling a recycling bin to the curb; bringing bottles, cans, or yard waste to a city or county drop-off station; or returning items like plastic bags to a retailer for recycling. Once recyclable items are collected, they start a journey to be sorted, processed, and eventually used as recycled material feedstock to create new products or packaging.
Rechargeable batteries commonly found in electronics and tools should never be thrown in the trash, as they could harm the environment. To reduce the health and safety risks from mismanagement, these batteries should be recycled through a designated battery recycling location or through your local household hazardous waste program.
