While we know of places that don't recycle at all, Houston is the worst among cities that do. Only 2.6% of the city's trash is recycled. The rest goes straight to landfill.
Landfill space is cheap, but with some residents waiting 10 years for a simple recycling bin, that can't be the whole story...
Houston, You Have a Problem.
As the article and a short video explain, Houston doesn't have zoning, so it's sprawled out to an even greater degree than other American cities. Therefore, picking up recycling is expensive, because trucks have to drive long distances. Also, landfill space is cheap... but not as cheap as other places that do have recycling programs.
We haven't done the analysis, but it seems that if every household had a big recycling bin and a small trash can, then the pick up could be done affordably.
We're all for incremental progress—sometimes small steps, like changing a light bulb to a CFL, can make a big difference. But it seems recycling is an all-or-nothing proposition.
Do you think recycling should be mandatory, even if it costs you more money?
image by kaliyoda via sxc.hu
Comments (4)
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Don't Mess With Texas... they're busy messing it themselves.
view spinsLPs's profile
I live in houston and think YES it should be mandatory. We drop off all of our recyclables at the local Heb (grocery store) and even at the heb it takes forever for it to be picked up from the bins.
view christine23's profile
Let me give you the environmental analysis of Houston's recycling program as associated with city planning.
Yes, Houston is a sprawling city, but it is by no means the MOST sprawling city in the United States. Look to other cities such as Atlanta, Phoenix, and even LA - all are sprawling regardless of zoning.
Yes, zoning has created some pollution problems for certain residents in Houston - particularly those near the ship channel.
But it is not responsible for the recycling issues. In fact, the upper middle class suburban communities in far west Houston do infact have recycling programs. As do other communities within the 610 loop - such as River Oaks, the Heights, and other predominantly white and/or newly gentrified areas.
But look at the demographics of Houston. It is by no means a majority white community. In fact, at this point the majority population in Houston is Latino, and sadly, many of the predominately Latino neighborhoods (including those that are within a couple miles of downtown - not sprawled out) have been deprived of recycling programs. Which is to say, technically, those programs have been set up with the city of Houston, and there are supposed to be pick up days and recycling bins, but in fact...there aren't pick up days, nor are there recycling bins. This lack of public services is a common occurence not only in Houston, but in other cities with historic minority neighborhoods, such as Detroit, Chicago, New York, etc. It is a matter of mismanagement and environmental racism - not a matter of zoning, or long distances to drive.
view kmswann's profile
Houstonians still fancies themselves as the wild west.
My Chicago suburb has a pay as you go system for waste.
Municiple garbage bags are 4.00 a piece, while anything you recycle is free.
I learned really quick....but having grown up in Houston, I can tell you they will not change unless they are forced to.
view hdtex's profile