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Local Recycling Info

Pumapayam

By Pumapayam
in Houston and the Environment

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Pumapayam

Pumapayam

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I need help.

I want to formally start recycling all my paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum/tin. But I don't want to paid for the service alone, unless the neighborhood agrees to add it in to the dues. (services suggestions, contact info, and cost appreciated!)

Full list is further down in the post

If I don't have a service, I need to buy a recycle bin, Rubbermaid makes one (USA made!)

30040729.jpg

But I can only find it online, has anyone seen it in a hardware store or Target? I know I can use any old tub, but I want to have a few of them in my garage and stick them in my SUV for easy transport. Trash cans won't work for me.

I called 311 and got a free green bin, part of being a Houston taxpayer.

I am familiar with one recycling facilty near me. Does anyone know exactly what the facility does on Fountainview and 59 South? Is this open to the public, and what can we drop off there? Most elementary schools have the paper bin, so that is easy. And some grocery stores have random can recycling machines.

I would like an all-in-one solution "go to" place to drop everything off if such a place in Houston exists.

5900 Westpark Consumer Recycling Center (also tires, batteries, oil, paint, anti-freeze and scrap electronics is open to the public and set up as a convenient drive thru

List from July Chronicle article and Houston Recycling FAQ.

The following Houston depositories accept recyclables, including glass that curbside service won't pick up. Hours and days vary widely, see greenhoustontx.gov or call 311.
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Original Timmy Chan's

Original Timmy Chan's

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I am familiar with one recycling facilty near me. Does anyone know exactly what the facility does on Fountainview and 59 South? Is this open to the public, and what can we drop off there? Most elementary schools have the paper bin, so that is easy. And some grocery stores have random can recycling machines.

I would like an all-in-one solution "go to" place to drop everything off if such a place in Houston exists.

Thank you!

If you're looking for an "all-in-one" dropoff location, the one at Fountainview/59 is probably what you're looking for. I take my recycling there, as it's on the way home from work. Quick tip: you have to enter from Westpark, and since Westpark is divided by a barrier there, you have to come down Westpark from Chimney Rock...or if coming from Fountainview on the 59 feeder, do what I do and short circuit your trip by cutting through the office building next door to the recycling facility.

There are two driveway to the Westpark facility, you want the first one (I believe the second is for big COH trucks). The entrance is marked so you can't miss it. Just pull up, open your trunk, and the nice folks there will take all your recycling for you. Takes all of about 30 seconds. When you leave you'll exit the facility onto the 59 feeder.

As far as what they will take there, check this website: http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/westpark.html

According to the COH website: "The center accepts #1 and #2 plastic containers, aluminum and tin cans, B.O.P.A. cardboard, computers and other residential electronic scraps, glass bottles and jars, magazines, newspapers, office paper, oil filters, telephone books, used motor oil, used tires."

To the best of my knowledge, the recycled material doesn't have to be sorted, but I always do anyways.

The Westpark facility is also home to the "ReStore": The ReStore is located within the City of Houston Westpark Consumer Recycling Facility. It is open from 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M., Monday through Saturday except City holidays. The ReStore acts as a book swap, a recycling information library, and a repository for items of post consumer and post industrial scrap for use in art projects.

It's amazing how much you can reduce your waste if you start recycling. We only threw away one kitchen-sized garbage bag of trash this week (that's not at all normal for us, btw). Since we started recycling a couple months ago, I can say there has not been one week that we filled our COH trash can to the brim. It was a common occurrence before we started recycling.

Serious question here...does anyone know if the COH actually recycles the material intended for recycling? I read years back that the COH took the majority of "recycling" material to a landfill because the costs didn't justify actually recycling the material.

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Pumapayam

Pumapayam

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The Westpark facility is also home to the "ReStore": The ReStore is located within the City of Houston Westpark Consumer Recycling Facility. It is open from 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M., Monday through Saturday except City holidays. The ReStore acts as a book swap, a recycling information library, and a repository for items of post consumer and post industrial scrap for use in art projects.

Man, that is perfect, and it's only a few blocks away from my home.

You think they sell bins?

Serious question here...does anyone know if the COH actually recycles the material intended for recycling? I read years back that the COH took the majority of "recycling" material to a landfill because the costs didn't justify actually recycling the material.

If they don't ask you to sort, I can bet it takes A LONG time. I will go there and get some more info. I can't imagine they they would not want you to sort.

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  • 2 months later...
musicman

musicman

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Why does Houston not have a comprehensive program regarding recycling? I lived in Dallas and fully utilizied their program.

it doesn't look too comprehensive. at least we don't have to pay to recycle oil, paint, etc.

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banking214

banking214

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it doesn't look too comprehensive. at least we don't have to pay to recycle oil, paint, etc.

I am just trying to make a point that Houston really does not offer anything. Paper, thats about it.

Just a pilot program in a few designated zip codes would be a start.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Pumapayam

Pumapayam

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Complete list from yesterday's Chronicle.

NO CURBSIDE PICKUP?

Residents outside of Houston can search by ZIP code at earth911.org for drop-off sites. The following Houston depositories accept recyclables, including glass that curbside service won't pick up. Hours and days vary widely, see www.greenhoustontx.gov/

materials.html or call 311.

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Original Timmy Chan's

Original Timmy Chan's

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I was glad to see the article in the Chronicle this weekend. It helped clarify some of the questions I've had about recyclables.

For one, I didn't realize that they didn't want to take the plastic shopping bags, even though many of them are type "2" plastics (HDPE?)

Also, apparently COH takes Type 1,2,3,5 & 7 plastics now. I thought it was only 1 & 2.

They also clarified that paperboard is acceptable in addition to corrugated cardboard. I'm still a bit unclear on other paper, but I'm starting to give them every bit of junk mail I get, in addition to newspaper.

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Pumapayam

Pumapayam

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I was glad to see the article in the Chronicle this weekend. It helped clarify some of the questions I've had about recyclables.

For one, I didn't realize that they didn't want to take the plastic shopping bags, even though many of them are type "2" plastics (HDPE?)

Also, apparently COH takes Type 1,2,3,5 & 7 plastics now. I thought it was only 1 & 2.

They also clarified that paperboard is acceptable in addition to corrugated cardboard. I'm still a bit unclear on other paper, but I'm starting to give them every bit of junk mail I get, in addition to newspaper.

I KNOW!!!

I was so excited that I can recycle my yogurt and cream cheese cups now.

I thought #5 plastic was inefficient to recycle, but I am going to follow up with that now and see.

I watched the episode of BS last night, and it has some truth in it, but I still think reuseing items, especially if we sort them well before hand is better than people random items in landfills. If we are going to truck it somewhere, I'd rather reuse it.

BTW, did I read that right, OJ and Milk cartons ARE NOT acceptable??? :unsure:

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SecondTour

SecondTour

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Rabid recycler here. I have the one green bin that was with the house when I bought it. I called the city and asked for two more, which they gave me. I use one for paper & cardboard, one for plastic, and one for metal cans. I have a store-bought storage bin I use for glass, which I take to the place on 59, near Fountainview, whenever it's full. The city has been very helpful whenever I needed anything recycle-related - info, bins, etc.

I don't think the city is behind on recycling. If you want to recycle, it's available here.

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crunchtastic

crunchtastic

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Many schools and city parks have the green and yellow trash bins for paper and cardboard. We set our plastic on the curb for pickup, and I store all the paper in a plastic, regular garbage can with a lid, then every few weeks drive around the corner to the park and unload. More convenient than the big recycling centers.

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Arivechi

Arivechi

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Interesting note, a Pay to Throw plan. The more you toss out instead of recycling, the more fees you pay. I'd support that if Houston adopts that plan.

I would LOVE to see the pay to throw program here. When I arrived to town and saw that everyone had a giant black bin and a teeny green crate that is collected every 2 weeks I wondered "huh? how is this encouraging people to recycle? once that bin is filled most people are going to throw everything in the black garbage bin". In CA we had a big blue bin for recycling the size of the black ones here. And a small size black garbage bin - and yeah, the goal was to put as much as possible in the recycle bin so you wouldn't have to pay for another black garbage can. And recycling was collected every week the same as garbage.

Teeny green crates = no incentive to recycle very much.

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Pumapayam

Pumapayam

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Also, apparently COH takes Type 1,2,3,5 & 7 plastics now. I thought it was only 1 & 2.
The Westpark Consumer Recycling Center allows all Houstonians the opportunity to recycle their used goods. The center accepts #1 - 5 and #7 plastics (not toys, packing materials, flower pots, styrofoam, plastic bags, or plastic furniture), aluminum and tin cans, B.O.P.A. cardboard, computers and other residential electronic scraps, glass bottles and jars, magazines, newspapers, office paper, oil filters, telephone books, used motor oil, used tires.

They take #1,#2,#3,#4,#5 & #7.

I think #1 and #2 was for curbside only, whereas the drop off will take #1-5 and #7. That confused me too!

From Wikipedia.

  1. PET (PETE), polyethylene terephthalate: Commonly found on 2-liter soft drink bottles, cooking oil bottles, peanut butter jars.
  2. HDPE, high-density polyethylene: Commonly found on detergent bottles, milk jugs.
  3. PVC, polyvinyl chloride: Commonly found on plastic pipes, outdoor furniture, shrink-wrap, water bottles, salad dressing and liquid detergent containers.
  4. LDPE, low-density polyethylene: Commonly found on dry-cleaning bags, produce bags, trash can liners, food storage containers.
  5. PP, polypropylene: Commonly found on bottle caps, drinking straws, yogurt containers.
  6. PS, polystyrene: Commonly found on "packing peanuts", cups, plastic tableware, meat trays, take-away food clamshell containers
  7. OTHER, other: This plastic category, as its name of "other" implies, is any plastic other than the named #1
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pestofan

pestofan

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I will NEVER recycle as long as they keep running that insipid recycling commercial on the radio, the one with a theme song straight out of some kiddie show. Every time I hear The Wiggles or whomever sing that abominable sissy jingle I'm forced to:

1) Slap the radio's off button

2) Roll down the window and toss out any litter I can find as an act of civil disobedience.

Extreme cheese and syrup = massive backlash of hate

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CSOM

CSOM

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Bellaire drive up recycling center takes most of this too, including paperboard.

If you ever need a list, to to http://earth911.org and they can tell you the closest place to recycle your stuff.

I will NEVER recycle as long as they keep running that insipid recycling commercial on the radio, the one with a theme song straight out of some kiddie show. Every time I hear The Wiggles or whomever sing that abominable sissy jingle I'm forced to:

1) Slap the radio's off button

2) Roll down the window and toss out any litter I can find as an act of civil disobedience.

Extreme cheese and syrup = massive backlash of hate

If that wasn't sarcasm, then you sir are as asshat.

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