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Green Neighbor :: What's A Green Neighbor?
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Austin Watershed Protection and Development Review Department
Waste Reduction
Trash is the largest and most visible urban stream pollutant. Trash can change habitats from aquatic life, reducing oxygen and physically damaging fish, birds and other animals. It also causes creeks to look less attractive and uninviting.
Waste Reduction
Credit
Dispose of lawn clippings with brush collection or in compost piles - never in creeks or storm drains.
2
Recycle newspapers, magazines catalogs, junk mail, office paper, aluminum cans, steel cans, glass bottles (#1 and #2) and corrugated cardboard.
2
Bring reusable bags to carry purchases home instead of using plastic and paper ones.
2
Purchase bulk items and fewer packaged products.
1
Take a trash bag with you while hiking (pack it in pack it out).
2
Pick up trash in your neighborhood.
1

Organize a creek clean-up (Call Keep Austin Beautiful at 391-0169 for help).
2

In 1999 recycling and composting prevented about 64 million tons of materials from ending up in landfills and incinerators. Today, the US recycles more than 32% of its waste – double the amount of 15 years ago. Austin-area residents generate enough trash to fill the Erwin center every four months. About 20% of the waste generated by Texans comes from grass clippings, leaves and other yard trimmings. It only takes an hour for one person to clean up trash along 50’ of creek. About 600 pine trees are saved each day through Austin’s recycling efforts. Recycling 54 billion aluminum cans is the equivalent of taking 2400 cars off the road. Because glass takes so long to decompose, the bottle you throw away today might still be littering our waterways in the year 3000.

 
 
Contacts For Illegal Dumping
Pollutants and Trash
(stormdrains on waterways).
24-hour
Pollution Hotline
974-2550
Bulky Items obstructing waterways.
Drainage Hotline 3-1-1
Residences and Vacant Lots.
Solid Waste Hotline 3-1-1

 

Recycling Helps your Community Recycling Helps your Community

Learn more about recycling

 

Copies of the Green Neighbor booklet are available at all Austin libraries.
For additional information, call 974-2550.

 
 
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