Plastic Recycling

There are recycling bins that collect different types of plastic at all the H.E.B. and Randall’s grocery stores, Home Depots and Lowes Home Centers, Targets, and Wal-Marts in Austin, Texas. These bins, unfortunately, have very incomplete listings of what they will accept.  In fact, according to Plastic Film Recycling’s website, http://www.plasticfilmrecycling.org/, they accept many items that are not listed as being recyclable.  Items they do accept are:

•         All clean and dry zip lock bags.
•         Plastic cereal box liners (if it tears like paper, do not include); this includes the bags from cereal boxes, crackers, and biscuit and cake mixes (they must be clean and dry).
•         All film and plastic wrap that surrounds packs of toilet paper, water bottles, and paper towels.
•         Plastic bags - retail, newspaper, dry cleaning, bread, produce, and other plastic bags labeled #2 and #4. Please do not include food bags, such as those from frozen vegetables or salad mixes.
•         Plastic shipping envelopes, including Tyvek®, bubble wrap, and air pillows (remove labels and/or deflate).
•         Furniture and electronic wrap.

If you live outside of Austin, the website above lists all collection locations in the U.S., and a complete list of items collected at these bins.

Recycling more plastics has greatly reduced the amount of trash that goes into my garbage can.  It is amazing how much room the film covering my Sam’s Club paper towels, takes up.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK RECYCLING QUESTIONS IN THE COMMENT SECTION OF THIS BLOG IF YOU LIVE IN AUSTIN.  I HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON CREATIVE WAYS TO RECYCLE LOCALLY.

New Items to Recycle

There have been some exciting new changes to recycling in Austin in the last few months.  They are listed below in my TIPS OF THE DAY.  If you do not live in Austin, check with your local recycling company to see if they take these items.

TIP OF THE DAY #1

Styrofoam can now be recycled at the City of Austin Recycling and Reuse Drop Off Center in south Austin. This is very exciting because many of us use a lot of Styrofoam.  I did not realize how much I use until I started saving it – all my meat packaging, egg containers, doggie boxes and drinking cups from the Sonic are all now recyclable.   Only requirement is that it be clean and dry.

 TIP OF THE DAY #2

For many years we were not allowed to put shredded paper into our curbside recycling bin in Austin, BUT NOW WE CAN!  Shredded paper must be placed in a paper bag with the top part rolled down so the paper won’t fly out.

Introduction

I have always been passionate about recycling. Many years ago, I became the neighborhood Block Captain for the City of Austin. The City would send me updates about new items to be recycled and, through a neighborhood email, I would let my neighbors know. I would also send out reminders around the holidays about seasonal items (like most gift wrap paper) that can be put into our curbside recycling bins.

When there was a possibility that Austin would ban plastic bags, I got very involved in that campaign. We were successful!

After the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference adopted the Paris Agreement, I thought long and hard about what little ole’ me could do to make a difference.

Following are some things I have done:

• Purchased a fabulous compost bin and began composting
• Gave up my 64 gallon garbage can for a smaller 32 gallon can
• Met with the director of Austin Resource Recovery to share some ideas about community education
• Organized a neighborhood Styrofoam collection and took a carload of Styrofoam, batteries and some hazardous chemicals to our local Recycling and Reuse Drop Off Center
• Began a campaign with my local HEB grocery store to post signs in the meat and egg sections that Styrofoam is now recycled at our Recycling and Reuse Drop Off Center

I will be posting recycling tips on this blog. It will apply mostly to Austin, but there will something to inspire readers elsewhere to check out what their community is doing.