THE BEST RECYCLING IS REGIVING!

I just heard about a neighbor who needed a wheelchair for a friend with ALS.  I suggested she call AGE of Central Texas. Within a few hours, she had a free wheelchair for her friend.  As I was telling her about this fabulous organization, I remembered that I had a cane I wanted to donate, so I took it to AGE of Central Texas.  It made me realize that more people need to know about the health equipment lending services provided by this organization and how people can donate to this very worthy cause. AGE of Central Texas truly makes your RECYCLING a way of REGIVING.

AGE of Central Texas < http://www.ageofcentraltx.org/> is located in central Austin at 3710 Cedar St.  Their Health Equipment Lending program lends all kinds of equipment to seniors and persons with disabilities, free of charge. To donate, please call 512-600-9288.  You can learn more on their website about what they need and even how to borrow equipment.

OTHER WAYS TO REGIVE

REGIVE YOUR VINYL RECORDS.  What to do with 100 45 RPM records of folk dance music and over 100 vinyl LP’s?  I took my 45 records to the Creative Use and Recycling Center.  They are a non-profit organization that will sell these for crafting projects.  Please visit their website for more information <http://austincreativereuse.org/ >.  I donated my LP records to Recycled Reads http://library.austintexas.gov/recycled-reads.  This wonderful store will sell my records to earn money to support the Austin Public Library.

REGIVE OLD CELL PHONES – There is a program that gives soldiers and vets cell phones.  It is called Helping Heroes Home. More info can be found at  https://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/about-us/helping-heroes-home/

The Pak Mail store on Windsor Road will mail donated cell phones to Cell Phones for Soldiers.  All Pak Mail stores will accept these phones and take them to the Windsor Road store.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST TO THIS BLOG ANY RECYCLING QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.  I WILL RESEARCH YOUR QUESTIONS AND POST THE ANSWERS.

The Early Days of Recycling

In the early 80’s, before there was curbside recycling, there was a plant that paid for paper brought in to be recycled. SO, I HAD AN IDEA!!

I began a neighborhood paper collection project and called it Lettuce Recycle (sound familiar?). Several of my neighbors and I began saving our paper, agreeing that one of us would drive the paper to this plant once a month.  We were so excited because we would be paid money for all of the paper we were going collect and could then have a BIG neighborhood party.

I was the first to make the trip.  After filling up my Toyota van, I happily drove to collect our wealth AND save the planet, all at the same time.

The van was weighed before and after the paper was unloaded. I was then handed $1.30.  Well, at least we did our best to save the planet – so much for a big neighborhood party!

Fortunately, curbside single stream recycling in Austin has made recycling so much easier. However, citywide participation is still not what it could be. Therefore, I researched what other cities do to encourage recycling and found some very interesting incentives.

Some U.S. cities are partnering with New York-based Recycle Bank to give people points based on how much they recycle.  Recycling bins in those cities have special computer chips that measure volume.  This volume translates into points that can be redeemed at local stores in the form of gift cards.

Other cities charge people who don’t recycle or don’t recycle properly.  In some cities, trash is weighed and people are assessed a monthly utility charge based on how much trash is sent to the landfill. In other cities, “green police” drive around and check recycling bins and assess a fine if the items in the bin are not recyclable.

All of the above programs cost money. Computer chips in recycling bins have to be manufactured, installed and maintained.  The gift card program is costly and has to be managed. “Green police” have to be paid and the fines have to be collected.

WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT IF PEOPLE RECYCLED JUST BECAUSE IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO?

There are many reasons people don’t recycle.  I write this blog and pen a monthly article in my neighborhood newsletter to help educate people on how and what to recycle. Stay tuned to my next blog post – Why People Don’t Recycle.

SIMPLE RECYCLING UPDATE

The Austin City Council voted unanimously on February 2 to continue the Simple Recycling contract.   Simple Recycling and the City of Austin encourage everyone to donate first to their favorite charity and then, rather than throw unwanted items into the trash, put them into the green Simple Recycling bags for curbside collection. As of February 17, 2017, Simple Recycling has collected 265,000 pounds from 12,000 Austin Residents. 

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST TO THIS BLOG ANY RECYCLING QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.  I WILL RESEARCH YOUR QUESTIONS AND POST THE ANSWERS.

SIMPLE RECYCLING SERVICE IN DANGER!

    I was so happy when Simple Recycling came to Austin. I had heard about them from friends in the Houston area who loved this curbside pick-up and recycling service. Since they started in Austin, Simple Recycling has diverted over 200,000 pounds of textiles from the landfill. Over 6800 Austin residents have participated so far.
    Now, on the January 26 Austin City Council meeting agenda, item #42 proposes to cancel the 3-year Simple Recycling contract immediately. The reason is that Goodwill and several other charitable organizations "BELIEVE" that their donations have been negatively impacted by this curbside service. These organizations have no data to prove this at this time.
    I believe we need many ways to help reach Zero Waste by 2040 and Simple Recycling offers one of these ways. They take items that most people just throw into their trash bins - that single tennis shoe, torn t-shirt, ratty towels, and torn underwear. No charity store can sell these items, so now with Simple Recycling, they do not go to the landfill.
    I still donate to my favorite charity, as do most of my friends and neighbors. Simple Recycling has not taken that choice away from me. Now these charitable organizations are trying to take my recycling choice away.
    There should always be discussion about this issue, but while these discussions are taking place, Simple Recycling should be allowed to continue its curbside service.
    This vote will happen tomorrow. If you feel strongly about simple Recycling continuing in Austin, please contact your City Council representative today. You can send one email to all City Council members at this address: <https://austintexas.gov/email/all-council-members>.

PLEASE HELP KEEP THAT T-SHIRT OUT OF THE TRASH CAN!

BULK COLLECTION ALERT

I love Bulk Collection week in our neighborhood.  It is a wonderful form of recycling – set out what you no longer want and others take it for their reuse or to sell. Whatever is left over, the City of Austin picks up and ALL OF THAT GOES INTO THE LANDFILL.

I never thought about the leftovers going into the landfill.  Rarely do I have anything left for the City to pick up.  I started thinking about this when my portable electric heater broke.  I was excited because Bulk Collection is next week.  Then I wondered what would happen to my broken electric heater.

If I leave it out for the City, it goes to the landfill OR I can take it to the Reuse and Recycling Drop Off Center where the components (electric, plastic and metal) will be recycled.

Clearly, I need to rethink what I put out for Bulk Collection.  From now on, I will take anything that is broken and can be recycled to the Reuse and Recycling Drop Off Center.  For example, broken appliances and broken lawn furniture probably have no appeal to people scouring the neighborhood, but are recycled when taken to the Reuse and Recycling Drop Off Center.

Before the City truck comes by, I will re-evaluate anything that I have set out to see if there is some alternative other than the landfill.

That is my plan.  Do you have any suggestions or comments?  If so, feel free to post on this blog.

If you have any other recycling questions please post them.  I will happily research the answer and post it.

NOT IN MY LANDFILL!

                                        

  

When I first saw this picture, I was shocked that, in Austin, we send so much to the landfill that we could be recycling – 44%!

Then, I began observing recycling habits of businesses and activities around me. I now know why this percentage is so high.

At several of my doctor’s offices, there is a water dispenser with plastic recyclable cups and a garbage can to put the cups in (no recycling bin).

Many local fast food eateries serve their drinks in recyclable cups and, again, only a trash bin to put the empty ones in.

Recently, while I was putting gas in my car at a convenience store, I noticed 5 aluminum cans and several empty plastic bottles in the trash can by the pumps.  There was a recycling can outside by the front of the store, but nothing near the pumps were they were really needed.

UGH!!!

It is so frustrating.  We need more education, more awareness and, most importantly, more passion to recycle. I wish I knew how to make that happen.  ANY IDEAS????

One small solution to some of our “what goes into our landfill” problem has to do with the amount of textiles we are currently throwing away.

In 2014, an Austin Resource Recovery study found that its curbside customers were sending over 3,300 tons of textiles to Austin landfills each year. This, too, is shocking.

On December 5, 2016, the City of Austin will launch a new free service for its curbside recycling customers.  It is called Simple Recycling. This service will help curb the amount of textiles that go into our landfill.  They will provide green collection bags to put clothing and household items in.  The bags can be placed near the blue curbside bins on recycling day.   Simple Recycling trucks will follow the City of Austin recycling trucks and pick up these items to be reused or recycled. 

One important feature of this service is that they will take THE ONE LONE TENNIS SHOE (to be reused for the rubber content) and THE TORN T-SHIRT (to be recycled for its fabric content).  These are some of the items that normally end up in our landfill.

Above is a photo taken at a Simple Recycling presentation for the City of Austin Recycling Block Leaders. On my right is Adam Winfield, Founder/President of Simple Recycling. On my left is Jason Burke, Vice President of Operations.

These gentlemen are very committed to keeping items out of our landfill that can be reused, resold, or repurposed. Their business makes it convenient to get rid of holey underwear or one lone sock without throwing it into the trash bin. Their organization will give these items a new life. Adam and Jason are definitely a part of the solution to "NOT IN MY LANDFILL".

Kudos to Austin Resource Recovery for getting Simple Recycling as a part of the solution to achieve our City's goal of zero waste by 2040.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST TO THIS BLOG ANY RECYCLING QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.  I WILL RESEARCH YOUR QUESTIONS AND POST THE ANSWERS.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOLIDAY RECYCLING AND REUSE CHALLENGES?

To my wonderful Lettuce Recycle blog followers – I would love your input on the following question:  WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR GREATEST RECYCLING CHALLENGES DURING THE HOLIDAYS?

I can think of several examples, such as too much garbage and too many items to recycle. I am sure there are others.

Feel free to post your ideas to this blog.  If you have questions, I will try to answer them.