Recycling habits in Austin (Hutto: fit in, neighborhood, gated)

[eileenkeeney]

I have noticed two interesting habits in my neighborhood, related to trash and recycling, compared to the city I moved here from.


If someone puts a stack of cardboard (usually neatly folded) between the recycle box and the trash, the recycle person does not pick it up, but leaves it for the trash person. (The recycle collection truck seems to always pick up first).

People put yard waste in the trash, as opposed to being provided with yard waste containers.


I wonder why?

Yard waste does bio degrade just fine, so I guess putting it in the trash is just fine. I guess the same is true for cardboard.
But I found the difference in practice interesting; especially the practice of the recycle person leaving the cardboard for the trash person.

[atxcio]

That's odd, I always assumed when I put my cardboard out like that (neatly leaning in between the recycle bin and trash), that the recycling people took it... but I never checked.

How else we supposed to do it? Big flattened boxes don't fit in the bins.

I suppose the single-stream bins that the city uses will hold those. Our outside-of-Austin MUD is supposed to be getting those in the future...

[mark311]

City of Austin - Recycling Corrugated Cardboard

Maybe they want them in 2 feet by 2 feet bundles.

"All cardboard can go in your 90-gallon blue Single Stream Recycling cart. If necessary, please flatten or cut down the cardboard to fit in the cart.

If the boxes cannot fit in your recycling cart, you can leave them on the curb. Flatten them into 2 feet by 2 feet bundles and tie them into manageable bundles with string or twine. This allows the recycling crew to pick them up and fit them in the truck. There is no limit to the amount you can set out for recycling."

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

They don't take cardboard here in Hutto. And unless it's changed they don't take Styrofoam either. Are they taking Styrofoam in Austin?

[CptnRn]

In my neighborhood Austin provides us with a single stream recycling cart that cardboard and all recycling goes into. Trash and household waste goes into a separate cart. Yard waste goes into separate containers or bundles provided by the property owner, which is picked up separate from everything else.

Yard Trimmings: City of Austin - Residential Yard Trimmings Collection
Large brush collection: City of Austin - Residential Large Brush Collection
Garbage Collection: City of Austin - Residential Garbage Collection
Single Stream Recycling: City of Austin - Single Stream Recycling

Single Stream Recycling Guidelines:

• Place your recycling at the curb by 6:30 a.m.
• Keep your recycling about 5 feet away from your garbage cart.
• Remove food wastes from recyclables before placing them in the recycling cart.
• Place all recyclables in the recycling cart – no sorting required.
• Flatten corrugated cardboard and place in your recycling cart. If you have more than what will fit inside the recycling cart, cut or fold it to 2 feet by 2 feet, and tie it into manageable bundles with string or twine and place next to your recycling cart.

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Here is what they say about Syrofoam


Styrofoam

Solid Waste Services CANNOT recycle Styrofoam at the curb. You may be able to donate Styrofoam peanuts to Mail Boxes Etc., or a similar store for reuse. If you dispose of Styrofoam peanuts in your trash, please seal them in a plastic bag first. This will prevent them from spilling on to the street when your trash is emptied. Large pieces of Styrofoam can be broken down, bagged and placed in your garbage cart or it can be recycled at Cycled Plastics



Styrofoam is nasty...

[eileenkeeney]

I don't have a 90 gallon blue recycle cart, I have a small rectangular bin thing.
I always fill it (It is my garbage that is barely full, usually one tiny bag, unless I am also putting grass clippings in it).

I was basically just observing my neighbors to see what the practices were.

I hate Styrofoam, and recently having ordered stuff on eBay am starting to accumulate some (Amazon was using paper and those inflatable plastic bag like tings).

[G Grasshopper]

I also hate styrofoam, since I know it takes perhaps 1,000 years to break down, if at all. When we go out to eat, I take a tupperware container along, just in case we need a doggie bag. If I get anything mailed to me with styrofoam packing, I notify the company that I will no longer be ordering anything from them due to their irresponsible packing choices. And I am sorry to say I can't get limeade at Sonic because they won't allow any reusable containers to be used. (Jamba Juice will pour your smoothie from the blender into your reusable container.)

By the way, it is questionable whether yard waste will really break down in a land fill. Most landfills are constructed so that air is not admitted into the trash, so there is little aerobic decomposition. When we send something compostable to the land fill, we are converting it to a non-compostable item. I haven't checked to see if Austin's landfill is constructed that way, so I could be wrong. But this is true of most landfills.

[jclAustin]

Originally Posted by G Grasshopper

By the way, it is questionable whether yard waste will really break down in a land fill. Most landfills are constructed so that air is not admitted into the trash, so there is little aerobic decomposition. When we send something compostable to the land fill, we are converting it to a non-compostable item. I haven't checked to see if Austin's landfill is constructed that way, so I could be wrong. But this is true of most landfills.

All yard trimmings are composted into dillo dirt according to the City of Austin website- City of Austin - Austin Water Utility: Dillo Dirt

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by jclAustin

All yard trimmings are composted into dillo dirt according to the City of Austin website- City of Austin - Austin Water Utility: Dillo Dirt

NOT if they are thrown into the garbage. I think that was the point of the post. Some munis have regs against yard waste in garbage. I thought Austin was one of them.