Waste and Recycling

Recycling Dilemma #1003 – Moving Boxes and Oversized Cardboard

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Whether you relocated from across the country, moved a kid home from college, or just received delivery of a new flat screen TV, dealing with the cardboard boxes are no problem!  Your curbside solid waste services through Waste Management provide a special pick-up day each month for recycling oversized and overabundance of cardboard boxes. The service is provided to each neighborhood in The Woodlands once a month at no additional cost. 

2 Easy Steps:

Determine your pick-up day by Village 

  • 2nd Monday of the Month: Alden Bridge, Cochran’s Crossing, Sterling Ridge. 
  • 4th Friday of the Month: Creekside Park, College Park, Grogan’s Forest, Grogan’s Mill, Indian Springs, Panther Creek, Research Forest, Town Center. 

Schedule bulk recycling pick-up of cardboard 

  • At least 2 business days prior to the scheduled pick-up day, call Waste Management Customer Service at 1-800-800-5804. 
  • Request and keep the confirmation number until service occurs. 

For a trouble-free pick-up, please follow these guidelines: 

  • Flatten boxes, then bundle and stack them curbside. 
  • Fold packing paper and place in your recycling cart for pick-up on your regular service day. 
  • NO packing peanuts, Styrofoam™, bubble wrap or plastic.  
  • Place items at the curb before 7 a.m. on the pre-scheduled pick-up day. 

Have an abundance of cardboard and don’t want to wait? 

Take it to one of our local Drop-off centers  

The Woodlands Recycling Center 5100 block of Research Forest, west of Bear Branch Recreation Center Open Wednesday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

Precinct 3 Recycling Complex 1122 Pruitt Road—Call for details: 281-367-7283 Open Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed for lunch 11:30 to 12:30

Check out these recycling tips from previous blogs:  

2022 Holiday Waste Guide: Service schedule updates and tips to make your holiday a little greener

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There will be no interruption in curbside trash and recycling services during the Christmas and New Year holidays. All services will occur on their regularly scheduled day including yard trimmings and bulky trash pick-up.  

For trouble-free service this holiday season, please keep streets clear of parked cars to allow trucks to safely access carts, place carts at the curb by 7 a.m. and ensure cart lids close completely.  

The Woodlands Recycling Center at 5402 Research Forest Drive will be open on Saturday, December 24 and Saturday, December 31.  It will be open on Wednesday, December 21 and Wednesday, January 4 from 4 to 7 p.m. 

To report a missed pickup or schedule bulky trash pickup, please contact Waste Management Customer Service at 800-800-5804 or cssatex@wm.com.   

Extra Trash Bags  

  • Extra bags of trash can be placed on the curb next to your cart.   
  • Each bag must be affixed with a pink extra service tag.   
  • Purchase tags for $1.75 each from The Woodlands Township offices, Kroger (Cochran’s Crossing, Alden Bridge and Sterling Ridge)  
  • Each bag may weigh no more than 40 pounds.  

Christmas Tree Guidelines

Cut Christmas Tree Recycling – Unflocked Trees Only  

  • Remove tree stand, all decorations and lights.  
  • Place the tree at the curb on your regular service day for collection by the yard trimmings  truck.  
  • Trees free of decorations may also be deposited at the Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park, 6464 Creekside Forest Dr and Research Forest Park & Ride, 3900 Marsico Pl. These trees will be chipped and used for flooring at Texas TreeVentures.

Flocked Christmas Tree Disposal  

  • Schedule for bulk pickup by calling Waste Management at 800-800-5804.
  • Call at least two working days before your regular service day.  
  • Flocked Christmas trees must be landfilled.  

Quick Tips for a Greener Holiday 

Greetings cards and packages fill our homes and warm our hearts during the holidays. Consider these tips for a greener Christmas and reduce the amount of holiday tidings that end up in the landfill. 

  • Recycle plain wrapping paper and flattened cardboard boxes in your curbside cart. Check out these Recycling Tips for the Online Shopper for help deciphering which items can be recycled and which cannot. 
  • Give a second life to your clean, gently-used clothing, housewares, toys, furniture and appliances by donating to local charitable organizations. Items should be in good, usable condition. Check out The Woodlands Donation Guide for a list of local organizations accepting donation. Many organizations will pick up your items. If you have an item that is not specified in the guide, call first to assure it is accepted. 
  • Find new recycling opportunities for items that cannot be recycled in your curbside cart. Items such as used electronics, batteries, Styrofoam, light bulbs, eyeglasses, mattresses and more can all be recycled locally at participating locations. Check out the Recycle More Guide for a complete list of locations and phone numbers. 

If wrapping paper is metallic, has glitter on it, or has a texture to it, it is not recyclable. Gift wrap mistakenly put in the recycling cart harms the value of other collected paper at the recycling center. Check this Eco-Friendly Gift Wrap Guide for sustainable wrapping tips. 

Questions or comments?

Email enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov

3R Drive-thru: Light Bulb Recycling

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Recycle Light Bulbs; earn scholarship funds for your village!

If you feel in the dark about light bulb disposal, here’s a bright idea: recycle used light bulbs to earn scholarship money! The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department has selected Incandescent, Compact Fluorescent (CFL) and LED light bulbs for the annual Village Recycling Challenge held at the 3R Recycling Drive-thru on Saturday, November 12, 2022 from 9 a.m. to noon in The Woodlands High School’s parking lot. Light bulbs must be intact, not broken. Batteries and other listed items will also be accepted. This event is for residents only, no businesses. 

This year’s Recycling Village Challenge shines a light on the importance of responsible waste disposal. Recycling light bulbs saves material that can be reused, reduces landfill space, and keeps hazardous chemicals out of our environment. Although they are made of glass, metal and plastic, light bulbs cannot be recycled in your curbside cart.

How are light bulbs recycled?

Light bulbs are put through a machine, called a tumbler, which crushes and separates the primary components: glass, metal, plastic, mercury and phosphor. These materials are then stored for manufacturing into new items.  

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) contain a small amount of mercury gas. If CFLs are disposed of in a trash can or landfill, the glass can crack and release mercury into the environment. Chemicals from CFLs and other hazardous waste, such as batteries that end up in the landfill, can leach into the surrounding water table, endangering human health and aquatic habitats. CFLs and other household hazardous waste should always be treated with care and safely disposed of through special collections. If you are saving CFL bulbs for recycling, please store them in a safe place such as their original box to avoid damage. 

Want to save money, energy and even water? 

LED light bulbs use 80% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs, saving energy, money and even water. They also pose almost no fire risk because they emit  less heat than other bulbs. LED lightbulbs may cost more up front, but they’ll save you hundreds or thousands of dollars over the years because of efficiency and long life span.  

Join us for free recycling of select items and support your village by bringing Incandescent, Compact Fluorescent (CFL) and LED light bulbs to the 3R Recycling Drive-thru for the Village Recycling Challenge. The village that collects the most will receive a donation to its scholarship fund from The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N.  

Can’t make it to 3R Recycling Drive-thru?  

That’s ok! The Montgomery County Precinct 3 Recycling Center (1122 Pruitt Road in Spring), Home Depot, Lowes, Batteries Plus and Best Buy accept different types of light bulbs all year. For a comprehensive list of local recycling opportunities of other oddities such as electronics, batteries, paints, pharmaceuticals, and more check out the Recycle More Guide.  

For more information, visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/3rdrivethru

Community Recycling Update

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Ever wonder where your recycling goes when it leaves your curb?

Comingled shipping boxes, water bottles, soup cans and cartons in The Woodlands are destined for recycling carts across our community and roll their way to the curb each week. Have you ever wondered where these materials go once Waste Management trucks pick them up?  

Our recyclables are transported from the curbside cart to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Houston. Once the truck arrives, it is weighed and recorded before the contents are dumped on the tipping floor. The material is then evaluated for contamination. If the material passes inspection it’s loaded into the recycling equipment where it goes through a series of specialized sorting machines.  

Watch the journey your recycling goes on. 

Each machine seen in the video is specialized to recover the specific items listed on the top of your recycling cart. Any other items are considered contamination meaning they do not get recycled, jeopardize worker safety, damage equipment, and weaken our recycling program.  

The most important rules to follow when recycling in The Woodlands  

  1. Do not bag your recyclables, throw them in the cart loose. 
  1. No plastic bags. Take plastic bags and other films to local grocery stores for proper recycling. 
  1. Only recycle the listed items in your cart. 

What’s the status of recycling in The Woodlands? 

Following the National Sword in 2018, market values of all recyclables were at an all-time low and headlines such as “Recycling is Dead” made the news. Although the recycling industry has changed from foreign to newly established domestic markets in recent years, The Woodlands recycling program remains strong. 

Recycling revenues are up 32% in the last quarter for Waste Management with the average commodity prices 60% higher than one year ago. Markets for materials collected in our program have remained steady. Profits are being reinvested in new technology to improve processing and supporting domestic markets. 

Our recycling program received recognition for Keep Texas Beautiful in 2022 for Outstanding Public Education and Outreach for the reduction of contamination by 30% in one year following the new cart tag education program. The current two-year contamination rate is 16.5%, well below the national average 25%, which is also the threshold that would impose increased processing fees.

The Woodlands residential solid waste program recycles an average of 12,000 tons per year, composts 1,500 tons of yard waste, and landfills 34,500 tons per year. An average of 39% of waste generated in the curbside residential program is diverted from the landfill annually. How can you help prevent the remaining 61% of trash from heading to the landfill?  

  1. Reduce the amount of waste you create.  
    • Remember to bring reusable tote bags, coffee cups, water bottles and other on-the-go containers or utensils. 
    • Shop sustainably. Choose products with minimal packaging. Purchase locally to reduce shipping material. Buy second hand, or even better, use what you have for as long as you can. 
    • Refuse plastic straws, plastic bags, plastic cutlery and other single use plastics. 
  2. Donate gently worn clothing, furniture and home goods to local charitable organizations. Check out the Donation Guide for a complete list of locations and accepted items. 
  3. Recycle right and recycle more! 
    • Refresh your knowledge of which items are accepted in your recycling cart.  
    • Recycle beyond your curbside cart. Check out the Recycle More Guide for a list of locations to take items such as mattresses, electronics, batteries, lightbulbs, wine corks, food waste, household cleaners and much more. 

For questions, contact Environmental Services at enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or 281-210-3800.  

Check out these recycling tips from previous blogs:   

Recycling Dilemma #1010 – Textiles 

Recycling Dilemma #1009 – Recycling Dilemma #1009: Caution, that pizza box is cheesy! 

Recycling Dilemma #1008 – Plastic bags and film – Friend or Foe?  

Recycling Dilemma #1007 – How to stay caffeinated, sustainably   

Recycling Dilemma #1006 – Online Shopping   

Recycling Dilemma #1005 – Take-out Containers  

Recycling Dilemma #1004 – To bag or not to bag   

Recycling Dilemma #1003 – Moving Boxes and Oversized Cardboard   

Recycling Dilemma #1002 –  Got Stuff?   

Recycling Dilemma #1001–  Oversized Cardboard & Moving Boxes