If only about 63% of what is placed in the recycle bin is recycled, why do we keep doing it? Those who want to recycle should take their recyclables to a depository. Every household should not have to pay for something they don’t want, and they should not be limited to using the green can to place items that should go into the black container. That is like throwing away 40% of each dollar used to collect that green can.
Consider doing that first, Mayor Whitmire, since you like to talk about efficiencies.
There are too many houses where more than one family resides, and that is what that green can is for, too often, disposing of garbage.
Houston, you pass ordinances and then don’t enforce them. Everyone should not pay for what other people do.
Before starting to collect a garbage fee, look into stopping recycling. It is a joke to pretend we are doing something helpful for our environment. If people really want to help the environment, stop buying bottled water. People look at me funny when I tell them I drink the water from my faucet. I am close to 80 years old, and city water has not killed me.
I am going to assume that most people don’t get a paper newspaper anymore, and I don’t. I am probably like everyone else; I prefer my news source to be digital. Most paper products are now boxes that Amazon sends. They are doing better; they are now using unrecyclable plastic. Which I have to pull out when I look at that green container (Recycle) because my family still considers anything plastic to be recyclable.
Houston’s plastic isn’t really recycled. It’s burned. We need a new deal. Source
For years, petrochemical companies have pitched chemical recycling as a solution to the plastic waste crisis. The previous mayor’s administration bought into that promise, entering a memorandum of understanding with industry partners to turn the city’s plastic waste into something useful. But the reality has fallen far short. Now, with the federal government considering weaker oversight, it’s time for Houston to reconsider its own role in propping up this failing experiment.
At its core, chemical recycling is not recycling in any meaningful sense. Instead of turning old plastics into new ones, these facilities typically convert plastic waste into fuels or feedstocks that are burned, releasing pollution into the air. Even the industry acknowledges that most plastic is not actually recycled. The promise has always been that new technologies would change that. They haven’t.
Source – behind a paywall
Houston
In the City of Houston, those numbers are slightly different. A representative for Solid Waste Management told the VERIFY team that 64% of materials they receive are recycled and 36% are unable to be.
Republic Services, which provides trash and recycling services in the Houston area, said that in theory, 100% of what is placed in the bin could be recycled. But, when it comes to reality, incorrect items – what they call contaminants – often end up in residential recycling bins.
The company doesn’t track local numbers but said nationwide, roughly 25% of what comes into their recycling centers can’t actually be recycled.
Waste Management, which also provides services in the Houston area, had similar numbers. About 72% of materials they receive at their Houston Westside Recycling Center are processed for reuse. An estimated 28% of items that reach their facility are found to be not recyclable and end up in a landfill.
In the City of Houston, those numbers are slightly different. A representative for Solid Waste Management told the VERIFY team that 64% of materials they receive are recycled and 36% are unable to be.
The TV station’s conclusion about the percentages at the end is incorrect. They are at least not clear about comparing what the EPA claimed and how Houston is doing.
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