Recycling
Recycling In Tayor Lake Shores
Recycling is the environmentally right thing to do. It saves landfill space, saves tax payer dollars, and helps conserve natural resources. Due to the small size of Taylor Lake Village, the city coffers lack funding to initiate recycling measures similar to the options in neighboring Houston. However, we are sufficiently proximate to be able to participate and benefit from many of the Houston area programs involving recycling initiatives:
2008 UPDATE:
RECYCLING CONTAINERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO CITIZENS OF TAYLOR LAKE VILLAGE-
They will be located at G.W. Robinson Elementary beginning on February 28th If you do not have a child at Robinson Elementary please do not drop off your recyclables during school hours or during parent drop off or pick up times.
The school get funds from their paper recycling dumpster; so we ask that citizens support the school by putting paper in their Abitibi yellow bin unless it is too full. Please do not put anything but paper products in the Abitibi paper recycling bin.
The Ameriwaste bin can take the following recyclables:
AMERIWASTE RECYCLING CONTAINER GUIDELINES FOR TAYLOR LAKE VILLAGE:
Aluminum cans – beverage cans. Aluminum may include aluminum foil products/wrapping.
Tin/Bi-Metal cans – Vegetable, soup, etc.
Plastics #1 – #7 – Liquid Soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, soft drinks, milk & juice jugs, water bottles, sports drinks, condiments, etc. Plastics may be “colored”. No plastic wrapping or flammable products like cooking or motor oil or antifreeze, etc.
The above items should be reasonably clean and rinsed of any liquids or food products. It is not necessary to remove tops or wrappers.
Cardboard – cereal, snack, frozen food, and dry food boxes, beverage boxes, shipping boxes, etc. No packing “peanuts” please.
Newsprint – loose or bundled including magazines, office paper, phone books, circulars, etc.
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In 2003, the City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department opened a permanent recycling drop-off center for the residents in the Clear Lake area. This drop-off site is located in the Ellington Field area. The center is open 7 days per week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. This site was previously a weekend drop-off site only.
Funded in part by the City of Houston, Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, this site accepts a variety of items. The items accepted are newspapers, magazines, telephone books, catalogs, ad inserts, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, aluminum cans, tin cans, aerosol cans, steel cans and #1 and #2 plastic bottles.
For more information, please call the City of Houston Service Helpline at 311 or visit the web site at www.houstonsolidwaste.org.
Directions to the Clear Lake Recycling Drop-off Center
Estimated Time 14 minutes. Estimated Distance: 8 miles
- Head West on NASA One / NASA Rd. 1 / FM 528 S.
- Turn RIGHT onto Old Galveston Rd. (Hwy 3)
- Pass Clear Lake City Blvd.
- Turn RIGHT onto Brantley
- This takes you into Ellington Field. You will pass a dock with signs on your right.
- Turn LEFT onto Loop Rd. / Broussard
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Tips on Disposal/Recycling of hazardous items:
Some jobs around the home may require the use of products containing hazardous components. Such products include certain paints, stains and varnishes, cleaners, polishes, automotive products, pesticides and herbicides.
The used or leftover contents of these consumer products are known as 'household hazardous waste'. More often than not, you would not want to put these wastes in the trash or down the sink. But what to do? Here are some tips to help you reduce the amount of household hazardous waste you generate and on the proper use, storage and disposal of these products.
First, Be a Good Consumer
Before you buy ...
- Think about the job at hand.
- Read product labels carefully.
- Choose the product that is best for the job.
- Buy only what you can use!
Before you use ...
- Read the label and follow the directions for proper use.
- Follow all safety precautions.
- Use the recommended amount - more is not always better!
After you use ...
- Read the label and follow directions for proper storage.
- Keep lid tightly closed.
- Keep product in original container with readable labels.
- Share any product you can't use with a friend or neighbor.
If you must dispose of a product ...
- Follow the label directions if provided.
- Contact the manufacturer if no directions are provided.
- See the section below 'Managing Household Hazardous Wastes'.
- Or, contact the City of Houston Household Hazardous Waste Information Line at 713.551.7355.
City of Houston BOPA
Or, if you are trying to dispose of latex paint, used oil, used oil filters, anti-freeze or a car-type or rechargeable battery, you can bring those items to the the City of Houston's Consumer Recycling Center, located at 5900 Westpark.
Please limit your load to one 5-gallon and ten 1-gallon paint cans, 5 gallons of used oil and 5 gallons of anti-freeze.
Also, you can see below for helpful tips on disposal of numerous items.
1) Antifreeze
Reuse
If the antifreeze is unused and in good condition, try to find a neighbor, friend, or family member that could make good use of it.
Disposal
If you live in the City of Houston, used antifreeze can be disposed of by pouring into your toilet. The wastewater treatment plants will not be adversely affected by this. Both used and unused antifreeze can be disposed of by bringing it to the City of Houston's Consumer Recycling Center, located at 5815 SW Freeway, at Westpark. Please limit your load to 5-gallons. (You can also bring a lot of other recyclable items to this facility including used oil, latex paint, car batteries, paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, tin and phone books.)
2) Batteries
Recycle
Two types of batteries can be recycled: Lead-acid (those found in cars, boats, etc.) and Rechargeable (NiCd, LiO, etc.).
Lead-Acid -- Lead-acid batteries are recycled by numerous scrap metal businesses in the area and can be brought to the City of Houston's Consumer Recycling Center, located at 5815 SW Freeway, at Westpark.
Rechargeable -- Rechargeable batteries can be returned to numerous businesses for recycling. These businesses include Radio Shack, Houston Cellular, and Circuit City. We recommend you call a particular store prior to leaving to make sure they accept them for recycling.
Disposal
The only batteries which should be placed in the trash are household, alkaline-type batteries, (AA, C, D, etc.). Battery manufacturers have removed most of the heavy metals from this type of battery and it is safe to place these in your normal trash.
3) Fluorescent Lights
Disposal
Small quantities can be disposed of in the trash (5-6). We recommend you wrap them in newspaper to avoid possible injury. Otherwise, if you have large quantities, please contact a private disposal firm. See 'Waste Disposal - Nonhazardous', 'Hazardous Materials - Disposal', and 'Environmental and Ecological Equipment and Services' in the Yellow Pages.
The City of Houston will accept fluorescent light bulbs and tubes from residents at the North and South Environmental Service Centers, our household hazardous waste facility. More information and directions found via the links below.
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ESC North |
ESC South |
4) Lawn/Garden Chemicals
Reuse
If the pesticide, herbicide of fertilizer is in good condition, try to find a neighbor, friend, or family member that could make good use of it.
Disposal
Granular (dry) fertilizer can go in your normal trash. However, make sure that it is just fertilizer and does not contain any pesticides or herbicides, such as in a 'feed and weed'-type fertilizer. Unused pesticides, herbicides and liquid fertilizers should be safely stored until the next local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Day in your area. In the City of Houston, the Department of Solid Waste Management has HHW Collection Days every 3-4 months. Contact the HHW Information Line at 713.551.7355 for more details.
5) Medical Waste
Disposal
- For help with questions on the disposal of medical wastes, contact the City of Houston Health Department at 713.640.4359
- Private companies are available to dispose of medical wastes. They can be found in the Yellow Pages under the heading 'Waste Disposal - Medical'.
6) Mercury
Recycle
Honeywell Thermostats -- Honeywell has a product stewardship program for their thermostats. They take back their thermostats and reprocess the mercury in them. Please contact Honeywell at 1.800.328.5111 for additional information.
Non-Honeywell Thermostats, Other Mercury Containing Products, and Free Mercury -- Mercury Distributors, Inc. in Houston will accept mercury for recycling. Please contact Mercury Distributors, Inc. at 713.433.2418 for additional information.
7) Paint
Reuse
Try to find a neighbor, friend, family member, church or civic group that could make good use of the paint.
Recycle
Latex paint can be recycled by bringing the paint to the City of Houston's Consumer Recycling Center, located at 5815 SW Freeway, at Westpark. This facility is open 9-5 Monday thru Saturday. Please limit your load to 1 5-gallon and 10 1-gallon buckets. Oil-based paint is not recycled at this time. (You can also bring a lot of other recyclable items to this facility including used oil, antifreeze, car batteries, paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, tin and phone books.)
Disposal
Latex Paint -- Latex paint is water-based and is non-toxic. Latex paint can be disposed of in your normal trash once it has been solidified. Latex paint can be easily solidified by mixing it with kitty litter or sawdust. This can be done in the can if there is just a little bit left in the can, or, if you have several cans or cans with alot of paint in them, you can mix the latex paint with kitty litter or sawdust in a double-lined trash bag. Then you can just tie up the bag and put it and your empty cans in the trash.
Oil-Based Paint -- Oil-based paint or paint that has the word 'alkyd' on the label should be used up until none is left. This can be done by painting old boards or newspapers in a well-ventilated place. Then the painted wood and newspapers can go into the trash along with the empty can.
8) Pharmaceuticals
Recommendations are:
- remove unused drugs from containers
- mix w/kitty litter and coffee grounds; place in impermeable containers
- place containers in trash, to be collected with MSW
- flush down toilet ONLY if package inserts instruct that it is safe to do so
Complete policy: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/prescrip_disposal.pdf
9) Used Oil
Recycle:
Consumer Recycling Center -- The Consumer Recycling Center, located at 5815 Southwest Freeway at Westpark accepts used oil and used oil filters for recycling. Use clean, non-chemical containers. Maximum quantity accepted is 5 gallons.
Neighborhood Businesses -- Numerous neighborhood oil change centers, auto parts stores and auto repair garages accept used motor oil for recycling. We recommend you call ahead of time to make sure the location you have in mind accepts used motor oil for recycling. The maximum quantity accepted at most of these facilities is 5 gallons.