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Fort Bend Recycling Center

Why It's Important to Recycle

I use to have a bad attitude about recycling. That was before I heard about the North Pacific Gyre and before I saw some of Chris Jordan's artwork.

Gyre, 2009 (by Chris Jordan)
8x11 feet, in three vertical panels

Depicts 2.4 million pieces of plastic, equal to the estimated number of pounds of plastic pollution that enter the world's oceans every hour. All of the plastic in this image was collected from the Pacific Ocean.

Plastic Bottles, 2007 (by Chris Jordan)
5x10 feet

Depicts two million plastic beverage bottles, the number used in the US every five minutes.

Partial zoom:

Cell Phones, 2007
5x8.3 feet

Depicts 426,000 cell phones, equal to the number of cell phones retired in the US every day.

Detail at actual size:

Is this the world that we want our kids and grandkids to inherit?

Did You Know?

• Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild the entire commercial airline fleet every six months.

• The Hershey Company in the US produces about 20,000,000 kisses each day using 133 square miles of aluminum to wrap them in. This material is recyclable but most of it ends up in the trash.

• Mount Rumpke is the highest point in Ohio at over 1000 feet, is literally a mountain of trash and is located in the Rumpke landfill.

• The United States produces approximately 220 million tons of garbage each year according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This is equivalent to burying over 82,000 football fields six feet deep in compacted garbage.

• The United States goes through 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour and only a small percentage is recycled.

• Enough plastic bottles are thrown away each year in the United States to circle the earth four times.

Set Up Your Home Recycling Station

1. Contact your garbage collection company (or MUD) and find out their rules for recycling. Print out a few copies of the rules/instructions.

2. Post the rules right by your kitchen garbage can, to remind you to recycle.

3. Put your recycling bins (I recommend cardboard boxes) close to your kitchen...your laundry room or garage or pantry. You will need some or all of the following bins:

   • Plastics & Styrofoam

   • Aluminum & tin cans

   • Glass

   • Paper

   • Miscellaneous (batteries, paint cans, motor oil, etc.)

   • Hazardous

   NOTE: You may be able to combine some items like plastics, aluminum, and Styrofoam...check your garbage company rules.

4. Label your bins and tape the special instructions for each type.

5. Also put paper bags in office areas to recycle office papers, mail, magazines, etc.

6. Before you throw something away, ask yourself if it can be recycled. If it is a dirty plastic or glass item, such as butter or jelly or yogurt containers, then run it through a cycle in the dishwasher before putting it in your storage bin.

7. Remember to rinse and crush aluminum cans, and just rinse metal cans (like soup and tuna fish cans).

8. Crush large plastic items such as milk cartons and water bottles. Remember to remove the lids and rinse before placing these items in a bin.

9. If your bins are out in the garage, just place items to be recycled on a counter close to the garage door, and then take them all out at once the next time you leave to go somewhere.

10. Drop off items that are not picked up, as described below.

Print "Create Your Home Recycling Center"

• Try to use smaller recycling bins, as they will be easier to lift when full.

• Consider moving boxes as recycling bins for items you will take to the Fort Bend Recycling Center: Glass, hazardous materials, paint cans, etc.

• Use paper bags for collecting office papers and junk mail to be recycled.

• Label recycling bins to ensure materials are separated correctly.

• Buy recycled products. Choose products with the highest percentage of "post-consumer" recycled content.

• You can even make money with some of your recyclables:

• For example, some businesses buy aluminum cans and scrap metal by the pound.

• Cell For Cash will pay you for the value of a reusable cell phone.

• Sell stuff on Amazon or Ebay…let someone else use it.

• Some music and bookstores that will buy and resell used records, tapes, compact discs and books.

• Put a No Junk Mail sticker on your mail box. Or better yet, get a No More Junk Mail kit.

• Join the Freecycle™ movement: you give away for free what you have and don’t need and you receive for free what you need, but don’t have. This ‘free cycle’ of goods keeps lots of useful stuff out of landfill sites and is about thinking globally and recycling locally.

• Office Depot will collect, free of charge, all old cell phones and used rechargeable batteries for recycling, including Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), and Small Sealed Lead (Pb) weighing less than 2 lbs/1 kg. These batteries are also commonly found in other portable office electronics products including cordless phones, laptop computers, PDAs, digital cameras, and portable printers.

• ReCellular - a global leader in the collection and recycling of cell phones. This service also provides a free online Data Eraser that removes all personal information from your cell phone prior to recycling.

• Dry cleaning companies and small tailoring shops generally accept wire hangers for reuse.

• Local community organizations and vision centers accept used eyeglasses. They repair them and distribute them to individuals who cannot afford new ones.

• Donating items is another way to recycle. Hospitals, schools and nursing homes accept magazines, jigsaw puzzles, craft projects and games. Be sure to remove the address labels from the magazines before you donate them.

• Children's homes and crisis nurseries can always use games, toys, children's books and clothing.

Drop Off What Is Not Picked Up or Reused

If your garbage collection company does not recycle some items you can take many of them to the Fort Bend Recycling Center. They are as follows:

NOTE: Please remove all caps and lids and throw away. To prevent serious pest problems, containers must be clean, no food, water or other fluids in containers.

• Paper Products: Newspapers, Magazines, White Copy Paper, Green or White Ledger Paper, Corrugated Cardboard (rippled air pockets), Manila File Folders, Phone Books, Books, Cereal boxes, Cartons,and Office Paper. Junk mail may be recycled but must be kept separate from the rest (use a paper bag).
• Plastics & Styrofoam: #1—7 Recycle Codes Only, Clear, Cloudy and Colored Plastic Containers; Milk Jugs; Food Containers; Styrofoam; Drink bottles with #1 or #2.
• Glass: Food and beverage containers only--any color. You don't have to remove paper.
• Metals: Aluminum, Tin, and Steel food and beverage cans; aluminum foil; foil containers and lids; stainless steel items, items made of iron, brass, or bronze.
• Batteries: Recyclable, automotive, and rechargeable. NOT household batteries size: AAA, AA, C and D (throw in regular trash).
• Tires: Passenger cars and trucks, tractor truck tires, and off-road tires.
• Oil: Cooking or motor oil.
• Electronics: Computers, monitors, scanners, fax machines, televisions, stereos, computer mice, printers, digital cameras, video cameras, keyboards, cellular phones, record players, VCRs, CD or DVD players, microwave ovens, and tape recorders.
• Latex Paint Cans (let paint dry out first).
• Household Appliances: All appliances.
• Antifreeze

Items not accepted (throw in the trash):

• Empty Antifreeze Containers
• Empty Cooking Oil / Motor Oil Containers
• Non-Numbered Plastics
• Auto Glass/Crystal
• Windows/Tempered Glass
• Mirrors
• Standard Light Bulbs
• Ceramic dishes, cups
• Dishes
• Tissue Products
• Copy Paper Wrappers
• Gift Wrapping/Bags
• Colored File Folders
• Food Wrappers
• Colored Paper Containers
• Trash/Garbage
• Lawn/Yard debris
• Dirty Materials
• Non-recyclable materials

Click Interactive Map for Details

Materials Fees

Some materials dropped off at the Fort Bend County Recycling Center require payment of fees, prior to disposal. Fees Must Be Paid in Cash or by Check...Credit/Debit Cards Not Accepted.

Please view the following items and their respective fees below:

More Information

Hazardous Waste

These are specific Household Hazardous Wastes that can be brought to the Fort Bend County Recycling/Household Hazardous Waste Center.

Tips For Preparing and Transporting Hazardous Waste

• Leave product in original container
• Identify product if label is missing
• Never mix products
• Separate products by type of waste
• Pack containers in boxes with dividers if possible
• Wrap bottles with newspaper to prevent breakage, spills
• If container is leaking, place in a larger container
• Place wastes away from children, pets when packing vehicle

These Items CANNOT Be Accepted:

• Ammunition
• Explosives
• Industrial/Business Waste
• Medical Waste
• Fireworks
• Flares
• Smoke Detectors
• Radioactive Materials
• Gas Cylinders
• Trash/Garbage
• Dead Animals
• Agricultural Waste
• PCB’s
• Dioxins

Helpful Articles & Links

All About Eco Friendly Homes

Energy-Efficiency Home and Vehicle Tax Credits

What is an Energy Star Qualified Home?

What is an Indoor Air Package?

How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Certified Energy Raters in Our Area

Fort Bend Recycling Center

Green Sugar Land Builders

Energy Efficient Mortgage Home Owner Guide

Financing an Energy Efficient Home

Remodeling with Sustainable Green Design

Where to Shop for Green Products

Improve Your Family's Health with:

• Natural Pest Control

• Effective Sun Protection

• Natural Bath and Beauty

• Purified Water

• Cleaner Air

• Organic Foods

• Natural Cleaners

• Safer Cookware

• Non-Toxic Bedding

• Green Home Products