Take Action!

Your letters, faxes and other communications with decision-makers play a key role in our victories. Thanks for using your voice to let decision-makers know that you - and many other Texans - want our health and environment protected.

Electronic Waste

Producer TakeBack: Beyond Recycling

Texas law needs to get at the root problem of unsustainable, toxic, products that are designed for the dump. We need to change state policies so manufacturers will bear more responsibility for recycling their products, giving them a financial incentive to make those products easier and cheaper to recycle. This system, known as “producer takeback,” is gaining traction. Press your state lawmakers to continue their support!

D/FW Residents: Encourage Texas Legislators to Get with the (Recycling) Program

You can make a difference today by urging your elected officials to support effective recycling legislation during the next legislative session. State Senators and Representatives need to hear from you to get behind expanded producer takeback policies for electronic waste and other hard-to-recycle items, as well as a recycling refund program for bottles and cans. Your voice is vital: please write letters today.

Williamson County Residents: Help Put Candidates on Notice that You Want Better Recycling

Representatives running for state office in Williamson County need to know that expanding recycling for e-waste and plastic beverage containers is a top priority to residents in the area. Wouldn't you like to know where they stand on these issues before you hit the polls? Wouldn't you want to vote for the candidate that has environmental protection on their front burner? WilCo candidates need to hear from you. Because Texans wrote nearly 30,000 letters to legislators in favor of TV recycling and in 2011 we can do even better!

Landfills

Say "No" to UT's Towering Plastic Water Bottle Pollution

The University of Texas has teamed up with Austin-based advertising company, GSD&M, to promote its own brand of water. By selling disposable plastic water bottles shaped like the UT Tower, the school pledges to fund scholarships and secure more institutional profits. This product will be sold on campus and will become the official bottled water of the Texas Exes.

Although the plastic water bottles are recyclable, the majority of them will most likely end up adding thousands of pounds of plastic pollution to our waste stream through landfilling and incineration, not to mention in our waterways. Unfortunately, plastic bottles are one of the top ten items collected in beach clean-ups. 

Recycling

San Antonio Residents: Let's Get to Zero Waste (...or darn close)!

Zero Waste means designing and managing products to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover resources, and not burn or bury them. Zero Waste promotes sustainable green jobs through the recycling, composting, construction and waste management sectors. Cities and even countries around the globe are setting ambitious “Zero Waste” goals. San Antonio can join this effort and set its own “Zero Waste” goal. It can be done!

Harris County residents: Tell local officials to help improve Texas recycling programs

Recycling is on the rise. Nationally, we recycle about one-third of our discards – while some major cities are recycling 50%, 60% or even 75%. More Americans now say they recycle than vote regularly! Unfortunately, recycling alone won’t solve the root problem of unsustainable, designed-for-the-dump products. We need to change the trash and recycling rules so manufacturers will bear more responsibility for recycling their products, giving them a financial incentive to make those products easier and cheaper to recycle. And our elected officials can help – if you ask them to. 

Austin Residents: Tell City Council to Ban Plastic Bags

From previous efforts in Austin, we know that voluntary and curbside recycling programs for plastic bags don't work. We've seen them in our roadways, trees, and oceans, and locally, they clog up sewage systems and machinery at recycling facilities. The City of Brownsville was the first in Texas to pass an ordinance to ban plastic bags and Whole Foods and Natural Grocers have adopted this policy as part of their corporate culture. We can do better in Austin: it's time to bag the bags!