Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water, and can be found in almost 80% of all U.S. households. It is the only beverage commonly served hot or iced, anytime, anywhere, for any occasion. On any given day, over 159 million Americans are drinking tea. Tea Association of the U.S.A.…
One of the more recent questions I’ve been getting is can my toothbrush be recycled. Probably not and definitely not in the blue single-stream carts. Most toothbrushes are plastic; however the bristles are nylon and the gripy stuff is a kind of polymer. So basically it’s a composite/mixed material and it’s not recyclable in most…
Does your neighborhood have a forum to buy, sell or give away items? In my neighborhood we have a Facebook Marketplace Group for residents in our neighborhood where we can post items for sale, for free, or items you’re looking for. It’s a great way to give away perfectly usable items but that you don’t…
Austin Resource Recovery shared a great way to put those home food/cooking delivery service ice packs to a great [re]use. Veterinarians and the Austin Animal Center could use them to aid in medical or surgical needs. Check your local animal service providers or your local vet. (Originally shared by Austin’s Captain Can to the Zero…
Have you ever wanted a dry erase board in your home office? They’re not the most attractive things to purchase. The shapes are either pretty big or pretty small, the marker tray is gross, and it’s usually permanently screwed to the wall. If you’ve ever worked in an office that has a surplus or 5S…
One of the questions I had recently was about baby formula canisters, like the one pictured here. Most of these containers are made out of liquid paperboard (LPB), a combination of paper and plastic (and sometimes also metal) to keep moisture out. In the City of Austin, these are not recyclable since they’re a composite/mixed…
Do you need a new car seat or an upgrade for your child or grandkid? April 22 – May 4, 2019 is this spring’s Target Car Seat Trade-in event! Quoting from Target’s website, “Guests who trade in their old car seats will receive a 20 % off coupon toward a new: car seat car seat…
More than you thought Cities are starting to provide Styrofoam recycling. Styrofoam can be melted down in a densifier into a block of material that can then be sold for reuse. The City of Austin and New Braunfels provides this service! I started a neighborhood Styrofoam collection last Christmas when I started to see all…
This article appears in the April 2019 edition of the Front Porch Flyer. It has been expanded here to address apartments, condos, and specific donation types. Approximately 6.6 million pounds of textiles are going to the landfill each year from ARR’s curbside customers. That’s 18,000 pounds of clothes going in the trash every day rather…
What is the size of your trash cart? Garbage archaeologists have learned…the volume of garbage that Americans produce expands to fill the number [or size] of receptacles that are available to put it in. Rathje, William and Cullen Murphy. Rubbish! HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. 1992 We are very fortunate here in Austin, Texas. We may choose…