Environmentalists are preparing to celebrate Texas Recycles Day on November 15. But, does Texas really recycle?

The city of Houston offers curbside recycling, paid for by tax dollars, to neighborhoods that request it. Currently, more than 150,000 homes are enrolled in the program, with a participation rate as high as 85 percent in some areas, according to city officials. The city also picks up yard waste for composting and maintains several drop-off locations for those without curbside service.

The city collects a total of about 60,000 tons of recyclables each year – only around 10 percent of its residential solid waste stream, according to its most recent available statistics. Paper, cardboard, aluminum, and yard waste - all recyclable materials - still compose 60 percent of the waste generated in the entire Houston-Galveston region, according to the Houston-Galveston Council (H-GAC).

For comparison, the city of Los Angeles recycles about 40 percent of its residential waste stream, and the city of Chicago about 25 percent, according to their statistics.

Big Plans
In 1998, the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) created a Regional Solid Waste Management Plan, which calls for a decrease in per capita waste disposal in the region’s landfills by 80 percent by 2012 through reducing, reusing, and recycling – the three Rs.

What kind of progress has been made toward this goal? Per capita solid waste actually increased an average of 0.84 pounds per day, up to 7.09 pounds per day, between 1998 and 2000, according to H-GAC statistics. Although the H-GAC progress report attributes part of this change to more accurate reporting from landfills, increased consumption because of a strong economy and product packaging are also to blame.

All this may sound grim, but H-GAC explains that, as poundage was rising, municipalities were developing the needed infrastructure to increase the three Rs. From 1993 to 1999, there was a 168 percent increase in recycling and source reduction programs in the region.

Big Challenges
H-GAC and local municipalities face big hurdles in reaching their lofty waste reduction goals.

No Enforcement
Although H-GAC, under state mandate and in coordination with local governing bodies, developed the solid waste plan, it’s up to individual municipalities, like the City of Houston, to implement it. H-GAC offers training, data, and information resources and funding to help local governments design better solid waste management programs, but has no authorization to enforce regulations.
And the city of Houston, the region’s largest municipality, has no plans and no budget to significantly increase recycling services, according to Gary Readore at the Solid Waste Management Department.

Wide Open Spaces
The Houston-Galveston region generally disposes of its waste within its own boundaries. In fact, slightly more waste enters the area for disposal than is sent to other places. Based on 2000 disposal rates, the region’s 21 landfills will not reach full capacity until 2013, according to H-GAC.

“Landfill space for the entire region is not a pressing issue at this time,” says Jacinto Hammersley, Senior Environmental Planner at H-GAC. This convenience poses a big problem for recycling efforts. As other areas are finding it increasingly expensive to find disposal space, the Houston-Galveston region rests on its 10-plus years until full capacity.

Falling Prices
Declining prices for recycled material have lowered the cost effectiveness of recycling certain items as well, causing many localities to discontinue services.
“It is a commodity-based business. If there is no economic incentive, it is difficult to convince municipalities to implement recycling programs,” says Hammersley.

The city of Houston quit picking up glass in 1999 when buyers quit paying for mixed glass. It was costing the city $55 per ton to sort and clean the glass, totaling $90,000 per year, according to the Solid Waste Management Department. Earlier this year, Beaumont completely discontinued its curbside recycling program due to budget constraints. In 2000, that city spent $254,000 to collect recyclables and made only $80,000 selling them.

Thinking Outside the Recycling Bin
To encourage waste reduction and recycling, many other places have launched innovative programs:

Mandatory Recycling
In New York City, recycling is the law. Businesses and citizens must separate glass, metal, plastic, cardboard, and paper from regular refuse for pick-up. Violations carry fines from $25 to $500. Requiring recycling increases the amount collected and in-turn improves cost-effectiveness.

Houston city officials discussed mandatory recycling a few years ago, but “the climate is not really there, unless it were to be mandated by the state,” explains Readore.

Pay As You Throw
Nearby Austin, Bryan, and College Station charge a variable rate for garbage pick up, depending on the amount disposed. Consumers pay per pound or per bag, which motivates them to waste less, and recycle and compost more.

Again, the city of Houston considered this option, but determined that the administration and residents were not interested in switching from a tax-paid system to an individual billing system, says Readore.

Take It Back
Instead of blaming consumers for waste generation, some areas are putting the burden back on producers. At least 10 states have “bottle bills,” requiring deposit-return programs for beverage containers. Three-quarters of deposit-return cans and bottles sold in “bottle-bill” states are recycled, compared with one quarter in states with only community recycling programs, according to the GrassRoots Recycling Network.

Other countries are thinking much bigger. Almost 30 nations have “producer responsibility” or “take-back” laws requiring companies that make or import items to be involved in the end-of-life phase of their products, usually including a requirement to meet minimal recycling or re-use rates. For example, by the year 2005, all cars made in Europe must be taken back by their producers free of charge, and 85 percent of the vehicle must be re-used or recycled.