curbside recycling

Recycling Dilemma #1003 – Moving Boxes and Oversized Cardboard

/ Environmental Services / Leave a comment

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:  

Community Recycling Update

/ Environmental Services / 1 Comment

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 

Recycling Dilemma #1006 – Online Shopping

/ Environmental Services / 1 Comment

Shopping from the comfort of your home in your PJs is easy. Deciphering what to do with all the packaging that comes with those fabulous purchases is the hard part. Check out these tips to learn how to dispose of online shopping waste wisely.

Looking for ways to reduce packaging from online purchases? 

  • Try filling your cart throughout the week and combining purchases into one weekly delivery. Choose “Frustration-Free” Packaging to reduce extra boxes. 
  • Consider shopping at stores that use thoughtful packaging materials. As this concept becomes more mainstream, the demand will increase and gain popularity! 
  • Choose ground delivery to reduce air travel. This option can save you a bit of money and also reduces the carbon footprint of your package.  
  • Shop at local businesses and bring your own bag or containers.

Check out these recycling tips from previous blogs:  

Questions or comments? Email enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov

Recycling Dilemma #1007 K-Cups: How to stay caffeinated, sustainably

/ Environmental Services / Leave a comment

In 2013, roughly 10 billion Keurig brand coffee pods were sold. Popularity of single serving coffee makers has grown since then and manufacturers of pods are hesitant to reveal how many are sold annually. It is estimated that the amount of coffee pods, or K-Cups, in landfills could wrap around the planet 10 times! (The Story of Stuff) Imagine all the wasted coffee grounds that could be composted and all the aluminum and plastic could have been recycled into new products.

We love the convenience of coffee pods, but it comes with a cost: coffee pods cannot be recycled through our curbside program and are considered a contaminant. While some brands label their pods “recyclable” that holds true only in select communities with coffee pod recycling programs.  Currently, those programs are not operating in our region. 

Why can’t I recycle them curbside? 

  1. Multiple materials comprise a coffee pod: an aluminum top, paper filter, coffee grounds and a plastic cup. Each material must be separated to be properly recycled, a process too complex for the current technology at standard recycling centers. 
  1. Although our curbside program accepts plastic and aluminum, both the plastic cup and aluminum components are too small to be properly sorted at the recycling facility. Anything smaller than 4 inches by 4 inches (like a post-it note size) falls through a screen and is landfilled with other small contaminants and residue.  

There is a way! 

You can recover your coffee pod aluminum by combining it with other clean aluminum into a ball 4” or larger and place it in your cart.  

Compost the coffee grounds and paper for a great soil additive. 

Take advantage of the one of several mail-in opportunities. These services separate the plastic and aluminum for recycling and the coffee and filter for composting. Check with the coffee pod maker for a free mail-in program. Terracycle, Recycle A Cup, and Grounds to Grow On also provide this service. 

Reduce your use 

If you’re ready to kick the single-use habit and reduce waste: 

Try another brewing method. Some coffee machines are compatible with a refillable K-cup or coffee pod option. French press espresso makers are capable of making smaller quantities of coffee and require no single use materials to brew.  

Check out these recycling tips from previous blogs:   

Questions or comments? Email enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov 

Textile Recycling Resumes

/ Environmental Services / Leave a comment

As of November 20, 2020, Simple Recycling’s curbside service has been cancelled. View the press release here.

This free and EASY service provides residents of The Woodlands Township the option to recycle textiles, shoes and housewares right at the curb.  

Did You Know? 85% of clothing ends up in the landfill! Only 15% gets donated or recycled. We can change that!

It’s Simple!

  1. Use the orange bag that you have at home or request a new one from www.SimpleRecycling.com
  2. Stuff it with clothes, shoes, towels, sheets, rugs and rags. Any condition is fine. Toys, books and housewares accepted, too.
  3. Set the bag out with your trash and recycling carts (no need to call). Your items will be whisked away and a replacement bag will be tied onto your trash or recycling bin.

Consider donating to a charity first. Donation Centers may be closed at this time, but will be in need of your donations when they reopen. But, if the items are headed for the landfill already, why not simply recycle them curbside?  Find a full list of items accepted here.

For more information about the program, please visit www.SimpleRecycling.com or contact The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department at 281-210-3800.

Questions or comments? Email enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov