Comments on: Poll: How Much Are You Willing to Pay to Recycle Yard Waste?

By: Mrs. G

Mrs. G — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 13:56:32 +0000

Come on council, close the recycling center and then turn around and charge us to “recycle” our yard clippings. At least they will decompose in a short time, the plastics taken to recycling will take much longer. They will now be placed in the garbage thanks to your fiscal convervatism.

By: vanderbilt resident

vanderbilt resident — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 20:35:32 +0000

Aren’t these the same numbers that passed your wife’s recycling board’s smell test? It was my understanding that her board recommended that Council approve the $125,000 estimated annual yard waste cost to the residents. Of course they also thought we should all be using the large Houston rolling containers for our garbage and recycling.

By: Give me Liberty...

Give me Liberty... — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 15:30:03 +0000

E Forester has it pegged exactly right. West U is a community of recyclers, almost everyone has that blue tub out in front of their home each week. But we don;t recycle ENOUGH. Its is flat silly that we do not recycle our yard waste. This would dramatically increase the % of our garbage we divert from the garbage dump. I have a hard time understanding how any reasonable person would disagree.

By: E Forster

E Forster — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 04:53:23 +0000

It is estimated that over 80% of household waste can be reused, recycled or composted. Whilst over 90% West U residents participate in recycling, I doubt there are too many who can claim to put only 20% of their household waste out as trash, but it is something we should all be aiming for. Recycling our yard waste is a step in the right direction. Every ton of trash costs West U $32 in landfill costs. Perhaps we should be concentrating on reusing, reducing our consumption, increasing our recycling rate, which will reduce our trash and then the solid waste fees wont have to be increased.

By: LHG

LHG — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 00:40:46 +0000

I used “Katie” not “Katy”. Be glad West U is concerned with managing yard waste and not feral hogs. Today Channel 13 had a story about them tearing up yards in Cinco Ranch.

By: Brokelyn

Brokelyn — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 22:43:06 +0000

Thanks LHG. Hopefully people will read this and realize that it doesn’t cost a lot and isn’t a hassle to buy recycling bags.

By: Brokelyn

Brokelyn — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 22:40:37 +0000

Miltonwatchdog — that was uncalled for. For the record I do indeed live in West U and my kid goes to WUES. Also, for the record, I do care what you think (in this post as well as the many others that you have contributed to) and I agree that one should find a yard service company that will comply with the home owner’s request to use recycling bags.

I think LHG offers us a lot of good insights as well even though she no longer lives in West U. She has chimed in with historical reference points regarding our city in her other postings and she provides us with some fresh views based on where she now lives.

West U Resident and Give me Liberty — thank you both for supporting civility. This forum has a very high signal-to-noise level due to all of the people who care enough to provide thoughtful analysis and opinion. We may not always agree, but the level of discourse helps all of us better understand the issues of our City.

By: Give me Liberty...

Give me Liberty... — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 21:53:45 +0000

Miltonwatchdog stop it. I do care what Brokelyn says and I think you are mistaken about her living outside West U.

I am waiting to hear one argument to not recycle green waste?

By: West U Resident

West U Resident — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 20:07:25 +0000

Uh, grumpy ol’ Milton just insulted one of his neighbors, Brokelyn.
“Lucille Gallman”, a/k/a “Katy” is the ex-West U resident who used to post on these boards from her home in Cinco Ranch. There’s no need to be mean to other posters.

By: miltonwatchdog

miltonwatchdog — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 19:47:00 +0000

Good point on whether a yard service will comply. Fire them and find one that will. Simple solution.

And, Brokelyn, don’t you live in Katy or Tomball? No one in West U really cares what you think about our yard waste.

By: Mardi Turner

Mardi Turner — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 19:14:43 +0000

Sooner or later someone is going to mention that their yard service won’t comply – so let’s get that out on the table while we are having this discussion.

By: yvonne jacobs

yvonne jacobs — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 04:32:35 +0000

Actually, I think Living Earth (the composting folds) charge about $20/ton to compost yard waste compared to the City of Houston’s $32/ton charged to landfill it. The estimated costs are based on trucks, gasoline, personnel, etc.

By: Give me Liberty...

Give me Liberty... — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 03:30:55 +0000

I am curious to hear the reasoning behind being against recycling green waste. It can’t be about the money. Why are a third of the poll respondents against this?

By: Rick Kellogg

Rick Kellogg — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 01:21:16 +0000

Let’s see: $125k / 1500 tons = $83. Recycling grass clippings costs $83/ton?! That’s $50/ton more than what the City pays to landfill unsorted garbage.
Sure makes me wonder how much thought went into the $125k estimate.
Also makes me wonder whether City Council thinks to question staff when presented with numbers that don’t pass even an elementary smell test…
In any event, even if the estimate is valid, I am still in favor of recycling yard waste. There is no excuse for an affluent city like ours to act like a slob.

By: LHG

LHG — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 01:12:18 +0000

I don’t know what everyone is paying for the tall brown paper bags, but Target has a bundle of 18 for about $8.99 in their stores. They also carry the smaller bundles like most stores. The big bundles are in the gardening section while the small bundles are with regular trash bags. When I lived in West U I had so much lawn clippings from trees, bushes, etc. I bought the Lawn and Leaf Bags every time I went to the store. I think it is a little amusing that out here on the Katy Prairie I can buy so many more in a bundle. They are a little heavy though.

By: Jan Kellogg

Jan Kellogg — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 22:51:14 +0000

And thank you for the recognition.

By: Jan Kellogg

Jan Kellogg — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 22:50:34 +0000

Mardi, yes I know it is possible to buy the bags. My point is that there is no incentive to do so.

By: yvonne jacobs

yvonne jacobs — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 22:25:56 +0000

Diverting yard waste from landfill is pretty much a no-brainer when you look at the facts. Houston’s three landfills will not last forever….when they are full, more landfills must be found. The projected life span of the three landfills is12.5 , 4.5 and 17 years respectively. West U uses City of Houston landfills. Where will the next landfills be constructed? Not in your backyard, right! Yard waste is composed and used again…..it is rich in nutrients, helps soil structure, is beneficial for soil life, and improves water quality….do we really want to trash such a value commodity that promotes sustainability? I’d gladly pay $2/month to help our landfills have a longer life and to promote sustainability . Plain and simple our present course IS NOT sustainable.

By: Mardi Turner

Mardi Turner — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 20:28:36 +0000

Jan – You can buy the yard bags at Randall’s, Home Depot, etc… and have been able to do so all along.

Doesn’t do much good though if green waste is still going to the landfill.

Thanks for your efforts.

By: Jan Kellogg

Jan Kellogg — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 18:38:12 +0000

Problem is, residents haven’t even been given the option to buy bags for yard waste since 2006. Why does this city have a recycling board if no one is interested in recycling? And why does a council, who has no interest in it either apparently, continue to appoint a board every two years and allow it to devote countless volunteer hours to promote recycling and solid waste reduction?