11/5/2022 0 Comments Living earth soil![]() Totals for each year were about the same, she said. In the same fiscal years, the tree waste recycling program saved the city about $1 million each year in landfill disposal costs. In Fiscal Year 20, Mason said that the yard waste collection program saved the city about $200,000 each year in disposal costs, and earned about $75,000 in revenue. That revenue is used to fund the expansion of recycling program, she said. The city also earns revenue from Living Earth for the grass, leaves and yard waste if it’s collected in approved compostable bags, Mason said. Once that tree debris is mulched, the city earns 10 cents for every bag of Houston Mulch that Living Earth sells. ![]() Living Earth mulches holiday trees for free, but charges the city to process residential tree waste. ![]() ![]() Lora Hinchcliff holds a slice of the City Hall Holiday Tree trunk. “Untreated real trees make the perfect base for mulch products that will benefit local soil year-round.” “Tree waste is collected in odd months because we start the year by recycling thousands of holiday trees every year in January,” Mason said. Odd numbered months are for tree and yard waste and even months are for junk waste. Sarah Mason, division manager for the city’s recycling and environmental services, said the collection schedule coincides with Christmas tree season. 5, creating mulch that will return nutrients to soil. Mayor Sylvester Turner, Solid Waste Management Department, Houston Parks and Recreation Department and Living Earth leaders were present to fell the tree and encourage residents to recycle their holiday trees. SWMD kicked off the first green waste month of the year by feeding the 65-foot City Hall holiday tree into a wood chipper on Jan. 2.Īfter a four-month hiatus to focus on household waste and Harvey storm debris, the city’s Solid Waste Management Department resumed yard and tree waste collection on Jan. SWMD resumed curbside tree and yard waste recycling on Jan. Houston residents will be able to recycle glass and filmy plastic bags in 2019 thanks to a new recycling contract approved on Jan. In addition to paper, plastic, aluminum, tree and yard waste curbside recycling, the city also has programs and partnerships to recycle building materials, mattresses, textiles, cartons, concrete, electronics, paint and household chemicals. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mulch and compost products play a critical role to help soil recover from floodwaters that can carry contaminants, deplete nutrients and damage the root systems that absorb storm runoff and prevent future erosion. Recycling your tree and yard waste will be more important than ever this year. Through a partnership with Living Earth, the program diverts tons of organic materials from landfills and saves more than $1 million a year in disposal fees. Luckily, that valuable organic matter can get a second life as mulch and compost because the City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department runs one of the most robust green waste recycling programs in the nation. As holiday trees are cast aside and foliage and frost-damaged tree limbs fall, January through March are busy months to tidy greenspaces and make way for spring growth. Snowfall, ice storms, and eight consecutive nights with temperatures below freezing - Houstonians experienced an uncommonly chilly start to 2018.Ī deep freeze can complicate life in a city that rarely requires wearing a heavy coat, and Jack Frost is not always kind to the local trees and landscaping. ![]()
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