Living Local: Texas

The Living Local series is an insider’s look at local environmental efforts and accessibility. Take a trip around the U.S. without leaving your computer!

Texas has some of the most populous cities in the nation, as well as some of the lowest recycling rates, but increased efforts from both municipalities and residents have led to improvements in overall waste reduction.

Here are some of the resources available for Texans interested in pursuing the local lifestyle:

While Houston is the fourth largest city in the U.S., it only has a 2.6 percent recycling rate. However, new programs and businesses are positive signs for the future. Photo: Wikimedia.org

1. Everything’s Bigger Here
2. One Day Drop-offs
3. Local Produce Galore
4. The Roundup
5. Education and Outreach
6. Room for Improvement

Everything’s Bigger Here

Some regions in Texas, such as San Antonio, are making excellent strides towards improving recycling rates. According to an article in The New York Times which cited a 2008 study by Waste News, San Antonio has recycling rate of 4 percent as the city converted to a single-stream system.

Given its potential for improvement, Texas seems to be a good choice as a base of operations for those in the recycling business. In June, Greenstar, the biggest recycling processing company in the U.S., opened North America’s largest recycling facility in San Antonio. The facility also processes recyclables from surrounding regions.

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One Day Drop-offs

Some cities also hold special events where Texans can bring many of their tough-to-dispose-of items to a central drop-off location. Dallas, for example, is sponsoring the OneDay Trash and Recycling Pick-Up Program. The big event on Aug. 29 encourages residents to bring all recyclables to several locations throughout the city. These items include:

According to the study mentioned in The New York Times, as of 2008, 25,000 residents in Houston have been waiting 10 years for curbside recycling bins. Photo: Txstate.edu

• Used Books
• Light Bulbs
• Televisions
• Batteries
• Tires
• Toys
• Building Materials
• Furniture

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Local Produce Galore

Texas’ climate makes it the perfect place for readily available fresh produce, and the Texas Department of Agriculture maintains the Pick Texas Web site, which offers several resources for the locavore, including:

• An A-Z directory of farmers’ markets by city, from Abilene to Wimberley
• Availability of produce and recipes to help plan menus utilizing the best of what’s in season
• A county-by-county directory of places to pick your own produce

Another excellent place to go to find organic farmers, as well as helpful local living tips, is the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.

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The Roundup

Texas is also the home of the Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair. This year’s 10th annual fair, which will be held in Fredericksburg this September, includes exhibits and speakers about everything from renewable energy to organic growing techniques and rainwater harvesting.

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Education and Outreach

For Texans interested in learning more about what waste reduction resources are available in their city or town, municipality Web sites are a good place to start. A visit to the City of Austin’s Web site, for example, offers recycling rules, pickup times and drop-off locations for items such as computers, batteries and motor oil, which should not be landfilled or placed in single-stream recycling bins. In addition, many of these Web sites have tips on more ways to reduce waste, such as composting, as well as drop-off locations for hazardous waste.

With some of the largest cities in the country, Texans who are willing to buy locally, learn about and utilize available resources and participate in recycling programs have great potential to reduce the amount of overall waste produced in the Lone Star State.

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Room for Improvement

While many cities like Austin have extensive recycling programs, the recycling rate in Houston, the biggest city in Texas, is 2.6 percent. According to that same study by Waste News, the fourth most populous city in the nation lags far behind other major cities like New York City and Los Angeles in terms of recycling rates.

Some of the reasons cited for this were the cheap cost of landfill space, lack of infrastructure, reluctance by residents to pay for or participate in recycling programs, and the expense of collection. In addition, many residents are still on a long waiting list for a recycling bin. In an effort to make improvements, the city began recycling yard waste in October. Also, the City plans on providing more recycling bins to those on the waiting list by taking bins away from households that aren’t utilizing them.

In the meantime, residents without extensive curbside services can use Earth911′s recycling locator or the recycling database maintained by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to find recycling drop-off centers.

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Read more from Libuse Binder at Weekly Way.