Waste Disposal

Illegal dumping and the improper management of electronic and household waste are pressing issues in waste disposal. Illegal dumping ranges from the improper placement of heavy trash in neighborhoods to massive illegally run landfills, known as sham recyclers. There is no hard data to tell where or how many such locations exist in Houston.

The permitting of new disposal facilities is another challenge for waste disposal. Very few residents want a solid waste facility located in their neighborhood because of perceived threats to public health and real estate values. It takes time to work with citizens to determine whether host community benefits can be achieved. Extended educational efforts must be carried out before all sides will agree even to sit down to discuss the waste location issue. The process of getting a facility permitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is also lengthy and costly. It usually takes three to five years to permit a new landfill. Even then, communities often resist a new facility and continue to fight against its development.

Local governments are now starting to provide more opportunities for proper disposal of electronic and household waste. There are also various campaigns to reduce waste before it reaches consumers. Sites have been developed to handle waste properly, such as one-day collection events and permanent collection centers. The Web site www.cleanup.org lists recycling centers, household hazardous waste facilities, used oil recycling places, and other information about proper waste disposal by zip code.

The biggest challenge, though, is finding money to fund proper disposal. Environmental issues usually do not have high priority in city and county budgets. Air quality receives the most attention because the case has been made repeatedly concerning air pollution, children’s health, and premature mortality. Local governments, however, are working at putting more emphasis on environmental issues that have immediate risks associated with them. The city of Houston, for instance, has chosen to focus on recycling and managing electronic and hazardous waste over traditional methods of recycling, such as glass and paper. Unfortunately, funds are then limited for increasing traditional recycling and the markets are still weaker than they were several years ago.

Progress

Awareness of recycling and the proper handling of waste has received a greater amount of attention in recent years. In 1993, there were only 34 local communities offering some type of recycling or source reduction program. Now the Houston region has roughly 120. Even with these new programs, the disposal rate has increased from 6.2 lbs per person per day to 8.2 lbs in 2002.

Source