As the world’s population has increased, our dependence on non-renewable resources also increased. Today, some of these resources are getting scarce. While some synthetic replacements have become available, there are some materials that we have yet to duplicate. This larger population has also resulted in an increase in waste. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the country generated nearly 300 million tons of garbage in 2018. That’s just a little under five pounds per person every single day. Much of this garbage ends up in landfills.

This is why recycling is so important. It addresses both of these issues. Materials are reused or remade into other materials, keeping them out of landfills while also alleviating some of our dependence on non-renewable resources.

If you live in North Houston, there are a few different Houston recycling programs you can take advantage of. By taking part in these programs, you can reduce the amount of trash your household contributes to landfills and do your part to help save the environment.

Make Use of the Houston Recycles Program

Houston Recycles is the term for the city’s recycling program. In order to participate, you simply place your green recycling bin at the curb on the designated day. Most homes should already have one of these carts. However, if you have just moved in and don’t have one, you can call the city’s Solid Waste Management Department and ask for one to be delivered. You can also call them and ask for a replacement bin if yours is damaged.

This Houston recycling program is included with your water and waste bill, and you pay for it whether you use it or not. You don’t need to sign up for the program—simply place your green bin out on the designated day and it will be collected.

The city does have some restrictions on what you can put in the bin. While you don’t have to sort your recycling in any way, you also should not bag it. Place the cans, cartons, cardboard, plastic, paper, and other items directly in the bin. These items need to be clean or they can contaminate the rest of the recycling. Greasy pizza boxes, for example, should be placed in the garbage instead of the recycling bin. You also cannot place any electronics, shredded paper, scrap metal, scrap wood, or non-recyclable items in the green bin.

You can visit the city’s website to find the Houston recycling schedule and learn more about the city’s plan to reduce how much trash goes into the local landfills. This website also has a comprehensive list of what is not acceptable for recycling.

Houston Recycling for Tree and Yard Waste

While wood and other tree limbs and clippings are not recyclable through the curbside bin pickup program, the city does offer a tree waste collection service. The city will collect tree waste on a specific day during the odd months of the year. You will need to check to see when your scheduled pickup day is.

On this day, simply place your tree waste at the curb. Branches, limbs, and stumps will be collected. Note that lumber, treated wood, and wooden furniture are not acceptable. This program only collects natural wood waste from tree trimming or downed tree limbs from a storm. Small branches can be bundled together if they’re less than four feet long and smaller than 18 inches in diameter.

What does the city do with this waste? They take it to a mulching facility. This tree mulch is then bagged and made available to the public at specific stores. Proceeds from purchasing the mulch are one of the sources of funding for this and other recycling programs.

You can also recycle yard waste. While the city does encourage people to use cut grass as mulch or in compositing, you can still put it out for pickup. However, instead of placing it in your bin, you will need to bag the grass up in a compostable bag. These bags need to weigh less than 50 pounds each. Note that yard trimmings should not be mixed with any other type of recyclable.

Take Large Items to the City Recycling Centers

If you live in an apartment or dorm, you may not have your own recycling bin. If you still want to participate in recycling through the city, you can collect your recyclables and take them to one of the six neighborhood recycling centers. This does require you to keep your recycling in bags or boxes until you can haul it to the center. However, if you’re near one of these depositories, it may not be that much of a chore.

What can you recycle in Houston recycling centers? Unlike the bi-weekly pickup service, you can actually recycle more by taking it to a center. They accept furniture, tree waste, refrigerators, car tires, and much more. They don’t take commercial construction debris, concrete, or some other items, though. If you have some broken furniture, you may want to contact the closest recycling center to find out if they can recycle it.

Take Electronics and other Hazardous Waste to the Environmental Service Center

While the previous three recycling programs don’t handle electronics, the Environmental Services Centers do. These two centers deal with electronics recycling in Houston along with recycling hazardous materials. You can take batteries, aerosol cans, brake fluid, drain cleaner, pool chemicals, solvents, and much more to these centers for recycling or disposal. They accept monitors, computer equipment, televisions, VCR players, DVD players, stereo equipment, and other electronics.

There are some limits to how much recycling you can take to the Environmental Services Center at a time. You can learn more about this program on the ESC website.

Drop Glass in Glass-Only Bins Across North Houston

Houston does have a specific glass recycling initiative. The city has partnered with a large glass recycler to provide glass drop-off boxes. These boxes are located across the city. All you have to do is drop your glass recycling off at one of these bins. You do need to rinse the jars out, and you should remove the lids, corks, and other caps before placing them in the recycling box.

Call Junk King of North Houston

Have too much recycling to put in your bin? Don’t have time or a vehicle large enough to take it to a recycling center? No problem—Junk King of North Houston has its own contribution to these Houston recycling programs, and is ready to help with all of your Houston recycling needs. We provide everything from paper recycling and metal recycling in Houston to junk collection and donation. Our goal is to recycle or donate as much as possible.

When you hire Junk King North Houston, we’re not simply loading up our truck and taking it right to the landfill. Instead, we sort through everything. We pull out anything that can be recycled and take it to one of our local recycling partners. We’re not just shredding this and salvaging some of it, either. We bail up all of the raw materials that can easily be recycled and send it to the experts who can recycle or reuse 100% of it. When you work with us, you truly are helping the planet.

We Also Donate Items

In addition to recycling as much as we can, we also separate out any furniture, appliances, and anything else that is in good condition. We have several donation streams we can send these items through so that they get in the hands of those who need them. We even have our own warehouse where we can store items that there isn’t a need for currently. We’re that serious about keeping items out of the landfill.

How to Recycle with Junk King

What do you have to do to recycle materials with us? Give us a call and schedule a pickup time. We handle everything else. You don’t need to sort out recyclables, donatable items, and trash, either. We take care of that. Just let us know that you need items picked up and how much stuff you have. We will ask you a few questions to get an idea of the scope of the job and give you a quote. When we do in-person quotes, we often bring the truck with us. This means if you agree to the quote, we can start loading up right away.

What Does Junk King Take?

We can handle just about anything as long as it doesn’t contain hazardous waste. We can take furniture, appliances, trash, mattresses, yard waste, construction waste, and much more. We can even handle your computer recycling in Houston. When you call or text us for a quote, we will let you know if there’s anything we cannot take.

While Houston’s recycling programs can deal with regular recycling, they may not be able to help you if you’re cleaning out your home or doing some other project that creates a large amount of recyclables. That’s where we come in. Give Junk King a call today at 1-888-888-JUNK or text us at 1-737-888-5865 to discuss how we can help you with your recycling project.