I am passionate about recycling! I feel good about myself every time I put something into the recycle bin knowing it won’t go into our landfills. So, it has always been a mystery to me why anyone would choose not to recycle. I am constantly pulling soda bottles and cans and plastic yogurt cups out of the trash can at my office when there is a recycle bin sitting directly next to it. It frustrates me, but I think I understand why it happens. Life is so busy and complicated that it is hard enough just to get through a day of work, go home to our personal and family responsibilities, and then get to bed at a decent hour without trying to save the planet too. It can seem overwhelming. I’ve listed a few easy things that you can do to make a big impact on the environment every day and help Austin move toward the goal of becoming a zero waste city!
recycle aluminum
If you recycle just one thing, make it your aluminum cans and foil. Some statistics say that the amount of aluminum Americans throw away in just three months is enough to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet. Aluminum foil, siding, gutters, storm window frames and lawn furniture can also be recycled.
recycle paper products
Paper products account for more than 30 percent of municipal solid waste and create methane, a greenhouse gas, as they decompose in a landfill. Recycling paper avoids these emissions. There are also some simple ways to reduce your use of paper like using cloth napkins or cloth rags instead of paper towels. Paperless- post.com has gorgeous email invitations that look like paper invitations (you can even opt for lined envelopes) but cost a lot less, monetarily and environmentally.
reduce junk mail
Junk mail is not only a waste of trees, it also clutters up your life. The easiest way to cut junk mail out of your life is to call 1-800-5-OPT-OUT or go to www.optout-prescreen.com and you’ll be taken off certain mailing lists forever! Cancel retail catalogs by calling the 1-800 number on the back and you‘ll also reduce purchases and save money. Any junk mail you do receive should be shredded to avoid iden- tity theft and recycled in your curbside recycle bin.
Lastly, buy products made from recycled materials. Ideally, everyone would recycle. But if no one supports the companies that use recycled products, our good intentions will be for nothing. Look for products with labels that say they are made from “post- consumer” or “recycled-content” and the higher percentage listed, the better!
Think Globally. Act Locally.
Ecology Action of Texas was founded in 1970 as an all-volunteer group that sought to promote a variety of environmental issues, most notably recycling. Today our mission is to educate and empower people to create a healthier environment through waste prevention and accessibility to recycling.
Bring your
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Paper and Pressed Cardboard (like cereal boxes and egg cartons)
- Corrugated Cardboard
- Aluminum Cans, Foil, and Pie plates
- Tin Cans
- Metal
- Plastic (#1 thru #7). Included are bottles, jars, drink containers, and trays
- Glass Bottles and Jars
- Clean and dry plastic bags
- Small Amounts of Residential Telephone Books, Hard & Soft cover books
DURING BUSINESS HOURS: Cellphones, clean and dry plastic bags
Leave these at home
• Motor oil containers
• Chemicals
• Styrofoam: egg cartons, logs, peanuts–none!
• Plate glass, light bulbs, pyrex anything
• Glass serving bowls, trays, etc.
• Waxed containers, e.g. milk, soy milk, juice
• Inkjet & Toner cartridges
foam
Ecology Action does NOT accept any foam of any type, even if has a recycling number on it.
For foam recycling, please contact:
HDI Plastics
5330 Fleming Court #100,
Austin, TX 78744
(512) 383-9388
Electronics
Ecology Action does NOT accept electronics. Goodwill Industries accepts electronic goods.
Ecology Action is Austin’s downtown recycling center
Online: www.ecology-action.org
Address: 707 E. 9th St. (west side of IH-35)
HOURS:
Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm Saturday: 9am-5pm Sunday: 9am-5pm
