RECYCLING HELP Near NW Houston

I take my stuff once a week to a big recycling place off 59 and Kirby. It is right behind Chick Fil A. I forget the name of the street. It takes everything except plastic bags. Those I take to Kroger's.

Recycling has always been an important part of my life. I was very disappointed when we moved into our new neighborhood and curbside recycling wasn't offered with garbage pick-up. We now have 5 garbage cans in our garage that we use for cans, glass and plastic (3 for plastic). We also have bins for paper and cardboard. When they get full (about once a month) we load the paper/cardboard and take it over to the green/yellow bins at my daughters school. The school gets money for the paper/magazines and cardboard and it is close by. Most schools in CFISD have those bins as it is a fundraiser for them. We take the cans, glass and plastic to a recycling center just off of I-10. It is more effort for us every month or two but we make it a family affair.
The recycling center we use is Vista Fibers, 1200 Brittmoore 713-461-993, A,G,OCC,OMP,MAG,ONP,P,TIN,TEL.
You can also find other recycling centers at http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/special/03/recycle...

Hope that helps!
Happy Recycling!

Abbreviations:
A = Aluminum
B = Batteries
G = Glass
M = Metal
MOP = Office Paper
NF = Non-ferrous Metal
P = Plastic
OCC = Cardboard
ONP = Newspaper
TEL = Telephone Books
TIN = Tin Cans
O = Oil

You should check with your water board committe. We did the same thing and we got free recycling for our whole community. Also walmart usually has plastic bag recycle bins right inside their doors.
Lupe

Hi R., there are some wonderful and helpful tips already posted. We're all glad you are making the effort. I'm sure you will find it rewarding! I just started in January myself, and find myself amazed at how engrossed I have become. We went from 3 cans of garbage a week to just one.
We are in the Magnolia area and have a local recycle center that takes a lot of things, including most all plastics. Since you stated NW Houston, I'm not sure just what part you're in. So, if you need more info on this location let me know. There's another center in The Woodlands.
As far as tips: our center likes for containers to be rinsed and dry before we bring them. This keeps "critters" under control. I would expect most locations prefer this. If you are not sure if a can is tin or not, see if a magnet will adhere. Then you will know where to recycle it. You will also develop friendships and create a network with like minded individuals. Have fun!

Vista Fibers is located on Hammerly and the Sam Houston Beltway south. They take metal, glass, cardboard, plastic with numbers 1 and 2. Good luck and stay GREEN!

We also use the recycling center off Kirby/59/Westpark. And we have used the one at Westpark/Chimney Rock.

We recycle paper, all cans (aluminum and bi-metal, food like green beans, etc), all plastic bottles (juice, water, milk, yogurt drinks, applesauce cups, etc), even the plastic that toys come in, all glass bottles (wine, spaghetti sauce, beer, etc), cardboard (pizza boxes, regular cardboard boxes, milk cartons, any box like cereal boxes or fruit snack boxes or those yogurt drink wraps). I just rinse everything out and throw it in a big plastic bin and every couple of weeks we haul it down to the recycling center. It takes about 10 minutes to toss everything into the correct spots. They make it really easy.

We have been stocking up on cloth bags to grocery shop in. My favorite are the green ones from HEB. They seem to be better made than the black Wal-Mart ones. I saw red Target ones, but haven't bought any. We also have several other large tote bags that we use. Any plastic bags that I get go back to the store to their recycle box in the front of the store.

Try the City of Houston's website. The solid waste section has a list of all of the recycling centers in the area and what they take.

Some HEB's have a large bin outside the stores. They take plastic and metal. Also most stores recycle plastic bags. Look for the containers in the front of the store. Good luck & good job going GREEN Mama... ~A.

R., glad to hear that there's another earth awareness mom out there. And you'll notice that once you start sorting your recycables that its pretty amazing how much one family can generate and help. Just imagine only a few more of your neighbors doing that. The HOA route was a bust for me, we had recycling trucks in our sub d, but some days the trucks would be broke and the trash trucks ended up picking up the recycling, so the HOA cancelled the program. And also bc not enough people participated. And you'll find that that's the case in most neighborhood. You'll be lucky to find 10% participation in Houston.

HEB has been my best locations for dropping off plastics. Their bins do not take glass, or paper. I take my cans to my our church bc the elders turn them into cash for the church. I also take the papers there bc it was my kids preschool. I don't know where you are in NW Houston, but the recycling center in The Woodlands is right off of Rayford/Sawdust road and they will take everything there if you want to do it all in one trip. I make my hb take our glass stuff there once a month. The workers there are nice and they actually helped unload the stuff.

Other suggestions for going green: pick up a canvas grocery bag from HEB (green) or Krogers (black). I like the Krogers ones bc they're black and you can't see the spills and stains as easily. They have a rectagular bottom that sits nicely along with a little hook so that the baggers can put it on their plastic bag carousel. If you remind the checkers at Krogers, you are entitled to a .05$ credit for each canvas bag you use. But not too many of them know about it. The bags are only $1 and such a great investment. Aside from your newspaper make sure you are recycling the boxes that your food comes in, the envelopes that junk credit card offers comes in, not to mention all the junk mails and catalogs. Plastic clamshells.

Good luck and have fun with it and get more of your friends and families to join in. You'll be amzed at all the trash that we all accummulate. A.

We started our own in our neighborhood pick up is every monday they gave us tubs that we put out there and we can only use the one blue tub. Bring it up at your next HOA meeting. The money we make goes back to our neighborhood to pay for things needed. Most containers have the recycling logo on it but did you know you can also recycle you can goods? Your plastic bags from the grocery store I take back to Walmart because it turns out that our recycling system we have in our neighborhood asks that we not put the bags out there that they don't recycle those. Good luck

Hi R.,

I don't know where you live but check your local HEB. The one on Mason has recyling bins at the building's side. That's where we take our items... paper, cans, and I believe they take glass and plastics. I'm also a newbie to recycling and here's what I found online.

Recycling Do's and Dont's:

DON'T put in this kind of paper: freezer food cartons (this means any kind of carton stored in the freezer), food contaminated paper (like greasy pizza boxes), paper towels

DO put in this kind metal: tin cans, clean aluminum foil, aerosol cans, scrap metal, dried paint cans

DON'T put in this kind of metal: cans with rubber or plastic parts (if you can't remove those parts, don't include the can), nothing larger than 30 inches by 8 inches or 30 lbs.

DO put in this kind of plastic: plastics with a neck, rigid plant pots (not the crinkly kind), yogurt-type containers (no smaller than 6 oz and ONLY #2 and #5 plastics, which is most tub-like containers), buckets, including kitty litter buckets.

DON'T put in this kind of plastic: plastic lids, plastic bags, oil or pesticide containers, to-go containers (unless they are a #2 or #5 tub...I think they are talking about those rigid clamshell containers, which are a no-no). Recycle your plastic grocery bags at your local grocery store if they have bins, that or use them around the house.

I hope this helps!
Happy Recycling!
K.