Austin Recycling Guide

What do those numbers on the bottom of plastic containers mean? Why do some apartment complexes recycle everything while others won’t take glass (or anything at all)? Can computer equipment be thrown away? What about batteries?

No wonder more people don’t recycle. It’s a confusing mess — literally. To inject some sanity into the process, we’ve compiled this reference to help Austinites figure out exactly how and where they should recycle everyday goods (bottles, cans, and paper) and safely dispose of those unusual bits (cell phones, motor oil, and high-efficiency fluorescent bulbs) that get stuck in a box for six months before exasperation heaves them into the weekly trash… and into our water supply.

Where to recycle and dispose of waste in Austin

Glass

• Regular glass — the clear, brown, and green stuff used in bottles and jars can be recycled virtually anywhere. This includes the City of Austin’s pickup service, various private waste management firms, Ecology Action, and several bins throughout the city.
• Pyrex and similar treated cooking glasses are not recyclable.
• Crystal is likewise not recyclable because it contains lead. Luckily, this only affects old women and the overly pompous. “Oh, dear me! I have far too much crystal. Someone save me from all my money!” Drink your Dom Perignon out of chipped jelly jars like the rest of us, Moneybags Jackson.

Plastics

“Plastic” is a very general term used to describe a family of chemical compounds. For recycling purposes, plastics are labeled according to the Society of the Plastics Industry resin identification coding system, commonly known as those little numbers printed inside the triangular recycling symbols on the bottom of your milk jug or Coke bottle. Only types 1 (PETE) and 2 (HDPE) are easily recyclable in most American cities.

• Types 1 and 2 can be recycled by anyone who accepts plastic recycling. This includes the City of Austin’s pickup service, various private waste management firms, Ecology Action, and several bins throughout the city.
• Types 3, 4, 5, and 7 (but not 6!) are accepted by the Austin Children’s Museum (201 Colorado Street) for reuse in art projects. Kids will be using this stuff, so please clean it thoroughly.
• Tops to plastic containers are typically not recyclable unless specifically marked with a 1 or 2
• Plastic shopping bags should never be recycled along with type 1 and 2 plastic containers! Any Whole Foods, Central Market, H-E-B, or Randall’s accept plastic bags for recycling in any quantity. (The City of Austin’s website says you must return bags to the same store. This simply isn’t true.) Plus, Whole Foods will deduct five cents from your order for each plastic or canvas you bring into the store and reuse upon checkout.
• Film canisters are accepted by Precision Camera (3801 N Lamar) and other camera stores, though you should call ahead to be sure.
• Motor oil bottles are not recyclable — even if they’re empty. See the hazardous waste section below.

Metals

• Aluminum cans (soda and beer, for example) are accepted virtually anywhere.
• Aluminum foil and pie tins are accepted at Ecology Action.
• Tin, which is used to store canned goods, is accepted by the City of Austin’s pickup service and at most places that accept “cans.” (Don’t throw your tin cans in a bin marked simply “aluminum.”) While aluminum has virtually replaced tin as the metal of choice for drinks, some fruit juice and beer cans are still made of tin.
• Aerosol cans are accepted by the City of Austin’s pickup service. Only empty or near-empty aerosol cans should be recycled, as their contents may rupture in the process. Partially full cans must be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility on Tuesday or Wednesday from 12pm–6pm and the first Saturday of every month from 7am–12pm.
• Scrap metal and large metal items can be dropped off at Ecology Action or at the Diversion Recycling Center at the City of Austin landfill. The city’s pickup services will not haul away large metal.

Paper and cardboard

• Newsprint, circulars, office paper, notebook paper, stationary, junk mail, and catalogs are accepted virtually anywhere.
• Envelopes, sticky notes, and other paper coated with adhesive material are accepted by the City of Austin’s pickup service. Such adhesive paper is not accepted at Ecology Action.
• Waxy paper and cartons (milk and juice quarts, for example) are not recyclable.
• Pizza boxes, take-out containers, and food- or oil-stained paper are not recyclable.
• Corrugated cardboard is accepted as-is at Ecology Action. The City of Austin’s pickup service requires you to flatten all boxes, cut them into 2′ by 2′ sections, and bundle the pieces with string — a great example of why more people don’t take the time to recycle.
• Moving boxes in good condition are accepted at the Tesoros Trading Company’s wholesale office (506 Baylor).

Appliances

• Waterheaters and all appliances (except TVs and microwaves) will be accepted by Austin Metal and Iron Works, 1000 E 4th, 477-4640.
• Diversion Recycling Center will also accept appliances and various other materials for recycle.
• The City of Austin’s pickup service will pick up bulky items during specially scheduled times. Over 10% of the bulky items are recycled. Metal refrigerators will be recycled — please remove the doors before placing them on the curb. You’ll receive a notice informing you of upcoming bulk pick-ups. But if you need to know sooner than that, you can call the city during normal bussiness hours at 494-9400.

Hazardous wastes: liquids, batteries, and electronics

You should never simply throw hazardous waste away — it’s poisonous to the soil and water. Because specific processes are often involved in the proper disposal and/or recycling of these materials, they should be handed over to professionals.

Motor oil

Motor oil is accepted by just about anyone who changes oil, though you should call first to be sure. Usually they’ll take other car fluids as well. Oil should be delivered inside a sealed, leak-proof container during normal business hours. Do not mix used motor oil with other automotive fluids or materials.

Chemicals

Household chemicals are accepted by the Household Hazardous Waste Facility every Tuesday or Wednesday from 12pm–6pm and the first Saturday of every month from 7am–12pm. Businesses may drop off waste by appointment only. See the Household Hazardous Waste Facility section below for more info.

High-efficiency compact fluorescent lights

These new-fangled lights save lots of energy, but they contain mercury, an environmental toxin and pollutant. Luckily, the Household Hazardous Waste Facility accepts these bulbs for recycling free-of-charge.

Batteries

• Alkaline batteries are probably okay to throw away. Since 1984, battery manufacturers have reduced their mercury content by 97%; because of the reduced threat, many alkaline batteries given to recycling programs end up in landfills. As of late 2007, there’s no conclusive answer to this ongoing debate.
• Non-alkaline batteries (including car batteries) are accepted by the Household Hazardous Waste Facility and the Diversion Recycling Center. Some cell phone and laptop batteries can be recycled at Best Buy. You can also take your cell phones with their batteries to Ecology Action during business hours, or the UT Campus Environmental Center at any time.

To learn more about battery recycling, check out Earth 911 and Environment, Health, and Safety Online.

Computers, monitors, peripherals, and components

Computers are considered hazardous waste because their circuitry and parts contain lead, mercury, and other toxic, soil-polluting substances.

• Goodwill accepts virtually all electronic waste free-of-charge. Here’s a list of Goodwill’s donation locations in and around Austin.
• Ink and toner cartridges can be dropped off at many Best Buy and Office Depot locations. At the very least, they can provide you with a postage-paid envelope to mail your cartridges back to the manufacturer to be refurbished.
• If you’ve got lots of old computer parts lying around — say, several boxes — you should hire a private firm to dispose of it for you. For more information, consult the City of Austin’s list of computer recycling locations.

Cell phones and portable electronics

While Best Buy and other electronics retailers accept donations, there are plenty of non-corporate, charitable causes that are practically begging for your old or broken phones. We suggest CollectiveGood, which accepts all manner of portable electronics, including phones, pagers, and PDAs. The process is easy: Choose which charity you want to benefit, print out a free mailing label, and box up the goods. You’ll even get a very official tax credit. Don’t like CollectiveGood? A simple Google search for “cell phone donation” yields plenty of alternatives.

Cell phone battery recycling is discussed in the batteries section above.

Miscellaneous

• Tires will be accepted at any Sears location for a state-mandated fee of $2. Tire stores like Discount Tire Warehouse may also accept old tires for the fee.
• Bikes and bike parts can be given to the Yellow Bike Project, or Bikes not Bombs; you could also try to trade or sell what you have at a Frankenbike swap meet.
• Carpet pads will be taken M-F 7:30a-5:30p by Designer Floors of Texas.
• Running shoes can be sent to Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program: Nike Recycling Center c/o Reuse-A-Shoe, 26755 SW 95th Ave., Wilsonville, Oregon 97070.
• Styrofoam Egg Cartons are accepted at several places: Sun Harvest Farms, 4006 S Lamar; Austin Community Gardens, 458-2009; Chicken Farmer Cindy Mclendon in Georgetown, (512) 869-1886; and Kathy Lawrence, (512) 376-7819
• Styrofoam packing peanuts are accepted at all Mailbox Etc. locations, Mail Center USA (3300 Bee Caves, 327-9101), and at the Tesoros Trading Company’s wholesale office (506 Baylor).

More recycling and waste-disposal resources

If this list doesn’t meet your needs, don’t despair. Here are two more websites that exhaustively list all recyclables and disposal locations:

• “How do I dispose of…?” by the City of Austin
• “What can I recycle?” by Ecology Action

Residential recycling (City of Austin)

Pickup

The city offers curbside pickup of your recyclables if you live in a house within the city limits. All recycling should be placed in blue recycle bins; paper can be collected in a paper bag. You can pick up blue recycle bins at any fire station. (Bring a bill from the city with you to prove you pay for waste services. If you go to a fire station and find that they are out of recycle bins, the city asks that you please notify them at 494-9400. They will restock that particular fire station as quickly as possible.)

The City of Austin accepts:

• Glass bottles and jars
• Plastic types 1 and 2 (see the plastics section above for more info)
• Metal cans, including empty or near-empty aerosol cans
• Corrugated cardboard boxes — but only if they’ve been flattened, cut into 2’ by 2’ pieces, and bundled with string
• Most types of paper: newsprint, circulars, office paper, notebook paper, stationary, envelopes, junk mail, catalogs, and sticky notes. Paper items should be placed in a second bin or paper bag (see below)

The above items should be placed in a city-issued blue recycling bin for curbside pickup (see below). You don’t need to separate glass, plastic, and metal.

Paper should be collected in a second bin or paper bag. Do NOT put your paper recycling in a plastic bag! The city will throw it away as they do not recycle plastic bags.

The City of Austin does NOT accept:

• Waxy paper, milk and juice cartons, or similar containers
• Take-out containers
• Pizza boxes
• Egg cartons
• Dairy and margarine tubs
• Tops to plastic containers
• Motor oil bottles
• Containers that hold needles or syringes
• Plastic bags
• Scrap metal
• Coat hangers
• Styrofoam

For more information, please contact the City of Austin at 494-9400 or visit their website.

Apartment, condo, and commercial recycling

The city doesn’t pick up from most businesses and apartment complexes because they are managed by private waste management firms. Your business or apartment complex may or may not recycle depending on which private waste management firm they contract with. Austin has four private waste management firms: Waste Management (WM), BFI, PDF, and Central Texas Refuse. Each of these private firms offers recycling, but it’s up to property managers to take advantage of these services. If you live in an apartment complex or work at a business serviced by one of the above providers and you’d like to start a recycling program, you should appeal to property management. (If your apartment complex has 100 units or more, the city requires that they recycling services in some capacity.)

If your apartment or office management won’t budge, you can drop off your recycling at one of the locations listed below or arrange a pick-up.

Do-it-yourself recycling and facilities

Ecology Action

Ecology Action recycles everything the city does. Additionally they accept many items that the city won’t: foil and pie plates, greasy pizza boxes, all scrap metal, corrugated cardboard (any size or shape), paperboard, books, phone books, ink cartridges, toner cartridges, and (during business hours) cell phones that include their batteries. As noted in their comment below, they also now have a business pickup service.

Diversion Recycling Center

The Diversion Recycling Center at the City of Austin landfill accepts appliances and car batteries. They also accept aluminum cans and large metal items. They do not accept TVs, microwaves, and motor oil. You can also get free mulch here when they have it.

Household Hazardous Waste Facility

The Household Hazardous Waste Facility accepts a huge list of toxic and hazardous materials, including liquids, chemicals, and batteries. Austin residents can drop off “limited quantities” (up to 30 gallons) of hazardous waste for free every Tuesday or Wednesday from 12pm–6pm and the first Saturday of every month from 7am–12pm. Businesses may drop off materials by appointment only. For more information, contact Mike Van Zandt at 974-4334.

Grocery stores

All Whole Foods, Central Market, H-E-B, and Randall’s locations will accept any type of plastic bags in any quantity for recycling. These grocery stores are the only places in the city you can recycle plastic bags. The downtown Whole Foods location also accepts glass, plastic (types 1 and 2), and metal cans. (Look for the pod-shaped green bins near the street-level entrance.)

UT Campus Environmental Center

The UT Campus Environmental Center focuses on aluminum, plastic, toner and ink cartridges, and mobile phones. Aluminum and plastic (types 1 and 2) can be deposited in any of the 25 blue barrels scattered around campus.

If you work at UT, student volunteers will pick up ink cartridges from your office so long as you have 5–20 cartridges and have scheduled a pick-up time. Call 232-7840 or email ink@utenvironment.org to make an appointment. Anyone — not just UT students or employees — can drop off cartridges at the Campus Environmental Center in room 207 of the Service Building (SER) at 24^th and San Jacinto. You can drop off at any time; if no one is there, just leave the cartridges outside the door. The UT Campus Environmental Center will accept all sizes of toner, ink, and fax machine cartridges as well as mobile phones.

Private recycling firms that offer pick-up services

• Balcones Resources (commercial): Judy Briscoe, 476-6200
• Trusty Pickup Service (freelance): 347-1026, trustypickup@yahoo.com
• Recycling Services Inc. (commercial, residential): 250-0360
• Tri-Recycling (commercial, residential): 329-0172

Composting

Composting is not too hard; just keep the following tips in mind. (Note: these are very basic instructions for composting.)

Do not compost: meat, fish, poultry (this includes bones), food sauces, fat, grease, oils, dairy products, feces, invasive weeds, treated wood, ashes, charcoal, and non-organic things like plastic, metal, and glass. Basically do not include anything that will become infectious as it decomposes, or might poison or infest the area.

Do compost: grass, yard/tree trimmings, leaves, vegetable and fruit food scraps, coffee grounds, tea leaves, shredded paper.