Plastic containers that plants come in can be recycled in Austin, Texas. If you recycle them they should be rinsed and dry, free of dirt and plant material. Some cities don’t accept black plastic. Some cities don’t accept certain numbers of plastic. Please check with your local city department or contractor. Please do not ask…
Craft, Art, and Hobby Supplies
If you have spent some of this quarantine time cleaning out your craft and gift area, exciting news from Austin Creative Reuse this week: they are now taking appointments for donation drop off! If you need craft and art supplies, Austin Creative Reuse has an online store with curbside pickup. This great local resource in…
Weekly Collection Reminders
Hi Everyone! I want to share a few reminders and tips with you as we go into our third month of interrupted access to all things recycling and trash. Sign up for the Austin Recycles App or go to My Collection Schedule to sign up for reminders for weekly collection. When Bulk and Brush resume,…
Zero Waste Face Masks
Several types of cloth reusable face masks are addressed here. I wanted to make face masks using materials I already had and items that could be re-purposed and reused. Since social media is all a buzz about more medical-looking face mask, I’ll share this first. I was fortunate to have a scrap/rag bag going on…
Parchment , Butcher, and Wax Papers
This post is an expansion of my update to Composting Questions and Confusions. Are parchment paper and butcher paper compostable? Great questions especially since so many more people are home baking and cooking right now. For parchment, it depends on the brand. You’ll need to read your box to determine if your parchment is compostable.…
Meal Delivery Insulation & Packaging
Please know that not all meal delivery insulation may go in the recycling carts. If the material is not traditional, err on the side of caution by keeping it out. Check out the new app Austin Recycles that combines the websites What Do I Do With? and My Collection Schedule. If you’re in Austin, and…
Replacements
In this season of life when we’re trying to make things last longer since it’s harder to buy in general, don’t forget Replacements. Replacement is in line with Repair, a lot of times pieces that wear out more quickly or over time are available to purchase to extend the life of a product. Replacing part…
Wipes and Paper Towels
A reminder that chemicals are not allowed in the City of Austin curbside compost carts. “If it grows, it goes” into compost carts. Think food-grade. If not, it belongs in the trash. If you are cleaning with paper towels and vinegar, alcohol, baking soda, etc. then those paper towels may go in the compost carts.…
Can Lids
Small but super helpful, can lids like those pictured here are great at helping preserve the freshness of your canned items sealed in the refrigerator. These here are from Tomlinson’s Feed. They are $1.00 each. You’ll see that there are multiple ridges on the lid, this is so it can fit several types of cans…
The Down-low on To-Go
As more people resort to having meals carry-out/to-go/takeaway and delivered, please take time to consider your options for end-of-life. Are the containers recyclable or compostable? Are they reusable or returnable? Will you be able to re-home freezer bags or ice packs? Mueller area restaurants seem to be on the right page with take-out containers. I…