By Lacey Lively, Marketing & Community Outreach Coordinator
The City of College Station’s new single-stream recycling program allows you to put your recyclables in one container. If you live in a single-family home, you’ll receive a blue 95-gallon recycling bin sometime in January — even if you didn’t participate in the old curbside program.
Collection by Brazos Valley Recycling begins on your designated day two weeks after you receive the new container.
In October, the College Station City Council approved a single-stream recycling collection franchise and service agreement with Brazos Valley Recycling. Fewer trips to the landfill and a possible reduction in landfill tipping fees also mean the new recycling program won’t come with an initial rate increase.
For an eight-month period earlier this year, the city tested single-stream recycling with 300 homes in Emerald Forest. Recycling increased from 9 1/2 pounds collected per household each month to 25 1/2 pounds, and garbage collection decreased signicantly.
In the past curbside recycling program, you had to sort your recyclables in clear plastic bags.
What can you recycle?
- Aluminum/tin/steel cans.
- Glass (all colors).
- No. 1 & No. 2 plastics.
- Mixed/white paper.
- Magazines.
- Junk mail.
- Brown paper bags.
- Phone books.
- Newspapers and inserts.
- Flattened cardboard.
- Shredded paper (must be placed in clear plastic bags).
- Paperboard (such as cereal boxes).
Before you place recyclables in the container, keep these things in mind:
- Paper and cardboard recyclables must be dry and free of food debris.
- Caps from plastics should be removed and discarded.
- Rinse and clean all containers.
- No loose plastic bags.
On your designated collection day, place your full container at the curb by 8 a.m. It should be about 4 feet from obstructions, including your green garbage container. After collection, the container should be removed from the curb within 12 hours.
Recycling options are also available for businesses and apartments. To learn more, visit cstx.gov/recycle or contact Recycling and Environmental Compliance Manager Heather Woolwine at hwoolwine@cstx.gov or 979-764-6228.
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This is great! I would like to know when the two biggest sources of recyclable waste in our house will start to be collected as well, that being plastic grocery bags and #5 plastics.
RA: Thanks for your comment. To address your questions, we turned to Recycling and Environmental Compliance Manager Heather Woolwine:
Heather can also be reached at hwoolwine@cstx.gov