Just Say No - to Plastic Bags

I was on my way in to work this morning, and saw a plastic bag floating across the intersection. I was immediately reminded of a plastic bag powerpoint presentation that came across my desk the day before. I was so saddened and disgusted to see the amount of waste that we produce in plastic bags alone. So I'm doing a little more research.


It's unfortunate that usually the ones affected the most by human selfishness are the animals all around us. As you can see by the photo, an innocent bystander, is locked into that bag more than likely because someone was too uncaring to properly dispose of that bag.

Green Bags is a place you can check online to buy some reusable bags and skip the plastic bags at all the retail/grocery stores. Just look at the filth and disgust that is lying around us because of those bags.


KROGER helps go greener - Kroger is attempting to help reduce future pollution. Kroger has bag recycling containers set up at their stores for you to drop off your used bags. Don't be selfish and throw them away. You gotta go back to the grocery store anyway, just bag up a bag of bags, and drop it in the container on your way in to the store. Then walk off holding your head high knowing you're helping out the entire world, one bag at a time. If you would like to thank Kroger for their participation in keeping a more beautiful earth, feel free at: http://www.kroger.com/customercomments.htm.

I have been running along the Braes Bayou lately, and have been utterly disgusted by the amount of litter that is on the bank of the bayou. I want to make it part of my goals to help clean-up that area.

In case folks don't know, there is an absolutely awesome set up on Westpark near Fountainview. There is a drive thru facility for recycling. It's a very convenient place, you drive right in, they open your trunk, grab the recyclables, close trunk, you drive off. Now could they make it any easier for you? Check it out: http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/westpark.html

Actually, there are many neighborhoods here in Houston that are participating in the curbside recycling program. If you'd like to find out more about this or to get a bin to start participating, go here: http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/recycling.html.

If you'd like to pick up some extra cash, you can take your old soda cans and batteries for scrap metal to the metal recycling shops around Houston. I hear some of them give $2 bills in repayment.

From the City of Houston site

"BOPA - Batteries, Oil, Paint and Antifreeze
Through a grant from the Houston-Galveston Area Council of Governments, the Recycling Division has begun a "BOPA" program at the Consumer Recycling Center located at 5900 Westpark. The City of Houston now accepts "B"atteries, "O"il, "P"aint and "A"ntifreeze for recycling at the Center. The batteries accepted are car-type batteries (lead-acid); used oil up to 5 gallons and oil filters; latex paint only (sorry, no oil-based) up to ten 1-gallon cans and one 5-gallon can; and antifreeze up to 5 gallons. The latex paint accepted at the Center is recycled and used in the City's ongoing graffiti abatement program. Additionally, the Center accepts up to 10 tires for disposal, making the Center a "one-stop-shop" for all do-it-yourself mechanics."

Remember, batteries are very destructive to the environment. Recycle those. Also, no pouring crap into our drainage system. HUGE NO NO! Take that stuff to the recycling facilities. No dumping grass clippings down the storm drains either folks. Come on! Are you just stupid? You're polluting what becomes our drinking water.

Yes, today this is my soapbox, but I'd like to change my ways in order to help make a better tomorrow. I challenge all you to refuse even just 1 plastic bag a week.

The following is an excerpt from the city of Houston site:

Items accepted at the Neighborhood Drop-off Sites and Neighborhood Depositories:

• Newspaper, magazines, office paper
• Glass food & beverage bottles and jars (No ceramics or plate glass!)
• Plastic bottles & jugs (marked #1 & #2 only!)
• Aluminum and tin food cans
• Cardboard boxes (Must be broken down with packing materials removed.)
• Westpark Consumer Recycling Center at 5900 Westpark (also includes tires, BOPA, and Scrap Electronics recycling)

Electronic Scrap Recycling
Residential electronic scrap items accepted by the City of Houston are monitors, televisions, printers, keyboards, mice, scanners, fax machines, telephone handsets, VCRs, CPUs, cellular phones without batteries and other small consumer electronics.

Computers and related components contain hazardous materials that can leach into a community's water supply. Cathode ray tubes (CRTs), circuit boards, batteries, and mercury switches contain hazardous materials, such as lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium.

Electronic scrap items can be dropped off at the Westpark Consumer Recycling Center or the Environmental Service Center (South and North).

Used Oil
In 1992, Houston became the first major city in the country to establish a curbside used motor oil recycling program. The city currently provides curbside collection of used motor oil to 162,000 homes by using recycling trucks that have been retrofitted with used oil collection racks.

A 1,000-gallon used oil storage tank was placed at the city's recycling processing center. Brochures explaining the program have been delivered to every participating household, and free one-gallon jugs were made available to all interested participants. Used oil and oil filters are also collected at the Westpark Consumer Recycling Center and the previously mentioned Department of Solid Waste Management Depositories.

Basically folks, pack up your junk, take it to the recycle center, let them take everything that can be recycled from the pile, then trash the rest!!!