Could Houston Increase Recycling Through Single Stream Technology?

Can Houston really increase its recycling rate by 200% within the next year? It’s possible, according to local blog Turning Houston Green. Especially if Greenstar Recycling has anything to do with it. The single stream recycling plant played a big part in the recent tree-planting effort — a part of the Keep Houston Beautiful campaign — and is making a positive name for itself in the area, prompting the blog to seek out Greenstar CEO Mike Simmons for an interview on their involvement with the community and plans for the future.

When I asked Mr. Simmons regarding their involvement with Keep Houston Beautiful and the Esplanade Project he responded “We are a key sponsor for both Keep Houston Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful because we believe that global problems can be solved at a local level.” He was excited that so many community members and families had shown up in support to plant trees and help make Houstonians proud of their City.

Turning Houston Green is a huge proponent of single stream recycling — a process allowing recyclables to be handled in one container (rather than multiple bins for glass, paper, and plastics) making the act of recycling easier and more accessible to the common citizen. According to the blog, single stream recycling has caused a 200% recycling increase in San Antonio, and a whopping 300% increase in Dallas. Are similar outcomes on the horizon for Houston? Simmons has high hopes that people will follow suit.

The competitor in me says that Houston can do better. Right? Mr. Simmons stated that “People want to do the right thing… When recycling is made easy, people do it” so Greenstar works closely with Municipalities to help make recycling convenient for residents. They believe that Texas can be a National leader in Recycling and that single stream recycling is the answer for Houston.

For more on the subject, check out the rest of the interview. Otherwise, chime in: do you think single stream recycling is the way of the future for Houston and other cities like it? Could easier recycling lead to a more eco-conscious population? Let us know!

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 6:38 pm and is filed under Blog Bites. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.