Any new visitor to San Antonio is sure to make a b-line right to the Alamo. It’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in the entire state. After they got their fix they might ask, “Now what?” For many the answer is a tour of the San Antonio River walk or Paseo del Rio, which actually is 20 feet below street level and just a few steps from the old fort itself. The River Walk is a winding sprawl of cafes, shops and museums along a 2 mile stretch of the San Antonio River that cuts right through downtown. A new project is under way to expand the River Walk up to 13 miles which will connect it to even more historic districts and prestigious museums. The River Walk offers up opportunities for a slow stroll along the banks to vibrant new life and of course amazing dining. Next to the Alamo, the River Walk has become the number two spot for visitors and locals alike to enjoy.

One of the most often overheard comments is how clean the River Walk is. This has a lot to do with the respect that folks have for the place. You can also thank the extensive recycling program instituted by the city government. There is an ongoing 10 year recycling plan in place that is calling on everyone in San Antonio to have easy access to available recycling services. A facet of the Keep San Antonio Beautiful program has to do with cutting back on the number of plastic bags in circulation around the city. A voluntary plastic bag reduction initiative has been put into effect with the goal of reducing plastic bags that are distributed by retailers by up to 25%. At the same time, the hope is to increase plastic bag recycling by 25%. Folks are encouraged to buy their own cloth bags that can be used for every trip to the grocery store. This can certainly put a dent in the amount of plastic bags being used.

As part of the citywide recycling program each resident is provided with a blue recycling cart. But are you aware of the dos and don’ts of what to put in? What’s allowed is any kind of paper product like junk mail, phone books, magazines or newspapers. Also cardboard like cereal and food boxes and broken down moving boxes. You can also toss in aluminum cans, steel cans, glass bottles and jars or any plastic item that is labeled with a 1-7 recyclable index number. What you can’t put into the blue bin are any bagged leaves, branches, paper towels, food waste, household cleaners, aluminum foil or plastic bags. All of that needs to go into your regular trash.

Then there is the issue of multi-family homes. Right now there are around 150,000 San Antonio residents living in multi-family units where the city doesn’t collect the garbage. They are encouraging the owners of these properties to provide access to the recycling program. In the case of an overflow of recyclable material, you’re well within you rights to contract a private hauling company like Junk King San Antonio. Junk King can can show up at an appointed time and take away any large or bulk recyclable materials and make sure it gets to the right facility.  Simply call 1-888-888-JUNK. It takes everyone to keep San Antonio clean.