Local Recycling Solutions
Local businesses mentioned in this guide are listed for information purposes only and are not recommendations or endorsements by the university or EHS.
Aluminum and Plastic
Aluminum cans, steel cans (food cans, etc.) and plastics #1 and #2 can be rinsed out and recycled through City of Austin Solid Waste Services. If you are a homeowner, you can call them and request a blue recycling bin. Recycling is typically picked up on the same day as trash. Check with City of Austin for details or observe when your neighbors put out their recycling.
Other Plastics
For any of your plastic-recycling needs that aren’t met by the city, you can turn to Ecology Action. They accept every number plastic (plastics 1-7) at their downtown facility on the frontage road of I-35 at 9th Street. They also accept glass, all types of paper and cardboard, and a variety of other recyclables. Check out the Ecology Action Web site for a full list of what they recycle.
Plastic grocery bags
You can take plastic grocery bags to any H-E-B located in town for recycling. Better yet, use reusable cloth grocery bags to reduce the number of bags used in the first place. These are a great and simple way to start making big differences. Plastic bags are now banned in Ireland, China (yes, the entire country), San Francisco and Chicago because they’re recognized as a litter nuisance and a waste of oil.
Glass
Glass that isn’t broken can be recycled through the City of Austin Solid Waste Services if you live in a house or apartment that provides a blue recycling bin. If this is not an option for you, you can still take these and other recyclables to Ecology Action on 9th and S IH-35. Other ideas for glass include decorations or accenting furniture. For example, a glass mosaic top for a coffee table would be a great gift or addition to your own home.
Styrofoam
Even though the City of Austin doesn’t recycle Styrofoam, there’s one place in town that does… Cycled Plastics accepts packaging foams and foam containers, such as takeout boxes, and they won the Keep Austin Beautiful Award in 2008 for their contribution to recycling in the city. They have a public drop-off site (check out a map to the Cycled Plastics drop-off site), and they’re open for drop offs Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. They also accept a variety of plastics and other materials, so check out the Cycled Plastics Web site for more info about what they recycle.
Cardboard and Paper
You can recycle paper products through City of Austin Solid Waste Services with the use of blue recycling bins. To reduce the amount of paper you have to recycle, you may want to consider removing your name from junk mail lists to reduce the millions of trees needlessly being turned into junk mail each day.
Phone books
You can take phone books to Ecology Action on 9th and S IH-35 or you can call the AT&T recycling hotline (1-800-953-4400) or visit yellowpages.com to find out when and where they will be accepting old phone books.
Paperboard
The City of Austin doesn’t accept paperboard, but Ecology Action does. Visit their Web site for hours and drop-off information.
Clothes
There are many places around town to donate or sell back your clothes. Another idea for reusing good clothes is to have a “clothing swap” with friends. This is where you gather a group of friends and everyone brings their clothes they no longer want and everyone swaps. Buffalo Exchange, Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Safe Place accept clothing.
Electronics
Electronics fall into a few categories. Any kind of scrap electronics or items that no longer work can be recycled at Electronic Recycling and Trading. Items can be dropped off at their location free of charge. Goodwill will also take back electronics in any condition.
CDs
You can usually sell your CDs back to music stores, or you may choose to donate them to charity shops, such as Goodwill. You could also find an innovative use for your unwanted CDs by making interesting things with them (e.g., clocks, coasters, hang them in garden to keep birds away from your veggies).
CD Cases
You can bring jewel cases (CD and DVD cases) to Waterloo records and they’ll reuse them.
Computers and Cell Phones
It is far more energy and resource efficient to reuse (rather than recycle) computers. 80% of electronics recycled in the U.S. are exported to third world countries to be salvaged (by burning outdoors) for heavy metals, resulting in untold toxic pollution. Computers can be donated to families in need or dropped off at community salvage centers (Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc…). Most computer manufacturing companies will recycle them as well. Dell is located here in Austin and will recycle them if they are not suitable for donation. Make sure all your files are deleted before donating, by using Kill Disk.
Planning to buy a Mac?
Apple accepts any brand of computer for free recycling as long as you live in the 48 contiguous United States and are purchasing a new Mac. The recycling itself happens within the United States, and no hazardous material is exported. Free shipping is included. Apple also offers a free iPod® recycling program through its US retail stores, providing environmentally friendly disposal of any unwanted iPod and a 10% discount on the purchase of a new iPod. Visit the Apple Web site for more information about their recycling programs.
Regulated (hazardous) Materials
This encompasses a wide variety of materials. Batteries, light bulbs, household cleaners; any item that may contain hazardous chemicals should be considered in this category. It is detrimental for yourself and the environment to dispose of these products improperly (e.g. down the drain, in the yard, or thrown in garbage). City of Austin has a household hazardous waste drop off location. Please contact City of Austin Solid Waste Services at 512-974-4343 or visit their Web site for detailed information on hours and disposal methods. Their Web site also has many other options regarding recycling that may not be mentioned here.
Compost Vegetable Waste
Up to 40% of your household garbage is compostable (biodegradable) waste. This is waste that will naturally breakdown into nutrient-rich soil! Put shredded newspapers, vegetable food waste (no meat or dairy — this will keep rodents away) and yard clippings in to your compost and reduce the volume of garbage you landfill every week. Make your own free fertilizer by building or buying a compost bin. There are many compost guides online that will get you started. Keep the compost aerated (fluff it with a garden fork every two weeks) and moistened to give you great compost in a matter of weeks.
See the Compost Guide or City of Austin Solid Waste Services for more information.
Scrap Metal
There are a number of places in Austin that take scrap metal. This includes ferrous and non-ferrous types. Scrap metal can range from appliances, vehicle parts, power cords, metal structures; basically any metal that you can’t reuse or are considering throwing away. Some environmentally friendly places in Austin to take your scrap metal are CMC Metal Recycling 512-251-3407 and Austin Metal and Iron Co. LLP 512-477-4640. Just give them a call and they can help you with your recycling.
To provide you with how much energy can be saved by recycling, here are some figures on recycling and energy savings taken from the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Everything Else
If you’ve got things you want to recycle and you can’t quite think of the right method of recycling, you can recycle them through Throw Place. Throw Place is a catch-all for anything you want to send away for reuse or recycling. After you register for free on the Throw Place Web site, you can use the Throw Place to give away your goods to others or pick up free goodies that others are recycling. Everything listed on Throw Place is free, and it’s always free for you to list things on Throw Place, so the only things you’ll need to pay are shipping costs.
