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Old 11-11-2010, 08:46 AM
 
Location: SW Austin & Wimberley
6,330 posts, read 17,974,930 times
Reputation: 5531

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After moving closer in, we now receive city of Austin trash and recycling. The big blue recycle container (the trashcan sized one on wheels) is only picked up every two weeks, which is not often enough for the amount of recycling we produce.

Meanwhile, the weekly trash pickup is for a 1/2 filled trashcan, as we produce very little non-recycleable trash. We even downgraded to the smallest trash can, and it's never full.

Does anyone else have this problem? Seems like if Austin wants to be eco-friendly, the recycling pickup could be increased to weekly service along with the trash.

Steve
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Old 11-11-2010, 08:57 AM
 
2,266 posts, read 7,299,595 times
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Our blue can is pretty much full after two weeks but there is only two of us in the household. Have you asked the City if they can provide you with two blue cans? I think that would be more cost effective and environmentally friendly than sending the trucks out every week.
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Old 11-11-2010, 09:23 AM
 
Location: SW Austin & Wimberley
6,330 posts, read 17,974,930 times
Reputation: 5531
Quote:
Originally Posted by AustinTraveler View Post
Our blue can is pretty much full after two weeks but there is only two of us in the household. Have you asked the City if they can provide you with two blue cans? I think that would be more cost effective and environmentally friendly than sending the trucks out every week.
Good idea - 2 cans. I just called to ask about that but they're closed for Veteran's Day.

Thanks to all our Vets!
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Old 11-11-2010, 09:41 AM
 
658 posts, read 1,998,546 times
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I guess we don't recycle enough because we only set ours out about every 6 weeks. Mostly it is crushed soda cans and a few plastic jugs. I don't recycle anything that I have to use a lot of water to clean out because I don't want to attract bugs and such to the garage.
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Old 11-11-2010, 09:48 AM
 
2,266 posts, read 7,299,595 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tibbar View Post
I guess we don't recycle enough because we only set ours out about every 6 weeks. Mostly it is crushed soda cans and a few plastic jugs. I don't recycle anything that I have to use a lot of water to clean out because I don't want to attract bugs and such to the garage.
What about cardboard, paper, junk mail, etc? Here's a complete list of what is recyclable (in the City of Austin):

What goes in the recycling cart?
Paper: (newspaper, office paper, junk mail, envelopes, wrapping paper)
Boxboard and cardboard: Corrugated cardboard and boxboard including:
cereal boxes
shoe boxes
most gift boxes
soda/beverage containers
most food packaging containers such as boxes of macaroni and cheese, rice, microwave meals.
Aluminum and metal cans: food cans (labels left on OK), soda cans
Glass: Jars and bottles
Plastic containers: # 1 through # 7, including yogurt and margarine tubs

EDIT: tibbar, I'm thinking you might not have a large blue recycling can (just like the large garbage cans) if you are keeping it in the garage.
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Old 11-11-2010, 10:02 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,232 posts, read 35,410,327 times
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We have the large blue one, and keep it in the garage next to the trash can. We downgraded to the smallest or second smallest (not sure) trash can after we got used to the recycling. It is occasionally good to have the capacity for those rare occasions, and doesn't make that much difference in price.

We fill up the recycle can just about every two weeks, although we occasionally have too much and have to 'stage' the cardboard or whatever for the next week, and we have taken to compressing the stuff a bit to get it to fit (flattening cans, and crushing plastic containers, etc).
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Old 11-11-2010, 10:13 AM
 
Location: Avery Ranch, Austin, TX
8,977 posts, read 17,438,169 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trainwreck20 View Post
We have the large blue one, and keep it in the garage next to the trash can. We downgraded to the smallest or second smallest (not sure) trash can after we got used to the recycling. It is occasionally good to have the capacity for those rare occasions, and doesn't make that much difference in price.

We fill up the recycle can just about every two weeks, although we occasionally have too much and have to 'stage' the cardboard or whatever for the next week, and we have taken to compressing the stuff a bit to get it to fit (flattening cans, and crushing plastic containers, etc).
About the same for us except that I try to stay ahead of DW and smoosh recyclables before they go out( she prefers that it is just 'gone' and will toss in a box full of air ). If I would quit collecting vintage tennis rackets for display, we would not have so much cardboard each time. Our mid-sized trash container is seldom full but it's nice to have the capacity when needed(maybe one week a month). Both of our bins live in the garage; but, BOY it's 'spacious' in there when they're gone!

BTW, finding Arizona Tea in 'instant powder' form has sure cut down on the number of 1 gallon plastic jugs! I was starting to feel guilty about those!
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Old 11-11-2010, 10:24 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
732 posts, read 2,116,963 times
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I produce about half a kitchen trash bag of garbage a week. Every other week when I set the recycling can out it is somewhere between half and full.
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Old 11-11-2010, 10:33 AM
 
1,961 posts, read 6,097,748 times
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We are a household of 5 and we fill up our blue can every two weeks, usually I have boxes on the side of the can as well.
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Old 11-11-2010, 10:36 AM
 
743 posts, read 1,359,002 times
Reputation: 651
Ours is picked up weekly...couldn't make it 2 weeks without it overflowing!!
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