gulf coast

Houston needs a Zero Waste plan

As the fourth largest city in the country and a global leader in energy and business, Houston has enormous potential to set a positive example for other cities in environmental policy. Recycling has been one issue at the heart of Houston’s environmental programs and our focus at TCE, since recycling is not just good for the environment – it is powerful for economic development as well.

Texas Campaign for the Environment and our allies in the Zero Waste Houston coalition rallied to expand curbside recycling to all neighborhoods serviced by the Solid Waste Management Department, and we won! Houston expanded single-stream recycling to every neighborhood in 2015, so that residents can put all of their recyclable items into the big, green bin separate from trash. In 2016, Houstonians rallied to keep curbside recycling from being suspended altogether, and the community won on that front as well, with the exception of glass, which is no longer accepted in the curbside program, for now.

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Now we are excited to take the next step, and address the recycling and food scraps generated in neighborhoods not serviced by the city, as well as apartments and businesses. About half of all residents live in apartments and have limited access to recycling. Food and organic waste also accounts for a third of what we throw in landfills, where it becomes responsible for 18% of methane greenhouse gas emissions nationwide. Illegal dumping affects many neighborhoods with blight, but city enforcers cannot keep up with violators. To address the waste problem at its source, cities like Los Angeles, New York, San Antonio, San Marcos, Austin and Dallas have also passed long-term solid waste policies to reduce trash going to landfills and incinerators by 60%-90%, creating thousands of jobs in the process.

What can be measured can be improved!

Zero Waste cities advocate for better product and packaging design by reducing single-use bags and partnering with manufacturers to recycle hazardous products such as e-waste. These programs are part of what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls “sustainable materials management,” a path toward a circular economy that conserves natural resources with products that are healthy for people and the planet. The first step toward Zero Waste in Houston is to set a measurable goal to get there. That’s why we are asking residents to email or write a letter to our new Mayor and City Council in Houston to establish a Zero Waste goal for us to divert up to 90% of its discards from landfills and incinerators. Send your message today!

Protect our water and land from legacy pollution

In the 1960s, a Houston paper mill hired a waste company to dispose of thousands of tons of toxic sludge from the paper making process into pits next to the San Jacinto River. Decades later, the pits have sunk into the river where it crosses I-10. This toxic waste is contaminating our water, fish and plant life all the way to the Galveston Bay with dioxins – one of the most toxic chemicals known to humans.

Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed elevated rates of certain types of cancer in the communities neighboring the Waste Pits.  People who fish for food, boat, and swim are especially at risk due to exposure to cancer-causing dioxins in the river. After years of study, the U.S. EPA finally designated the San Jacinto River Waste Pits as a “Superfund” site in 2008.

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In September 2016, the EPA proposed their cleanup recommendation: full removal of the waste! This is a huge victory for the hundreds of area residents who have been speaking out about the toxic site for years. The polluters who will have to pay, however, would rather cap the site instead, even though the existing cap keeps failing. Now, we need your help to make sure that the EPA’s final decision orders the polluters to fully remove the toxic San Jacinto River Waste Pits!

Defend vital functions of the U.S. EPA

Proposed budget cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under consideration this year ignore the reality of how critical the EPA is to cleaning up the many Superfund sites that affect our region. The Superfund process for cleaning up toxic sites like the waste pits is targeted for 30% budget cuts under the President’s proposed budget.

This year, our U.S. Congressmembers will be voting on a budget for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Under the President’s plan, the EPA’s budget could be cut by 31% — including 30% cuts to the Superfund program. Several other programs could be eliminated completely, including the environmental justice program, which seeks to provide resources to low-income communities directly impacted by pollution, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act which combats air pollution, as well as climate change research. These are just a few examples of EPA programs that have benefited Houstonians directly and that you can help defend.

Most Texans agree with common sense policies to protect our land, air, and water, and pass on a healthy environment for future generations. Your voice can make a difference in how our members of Congress will vote on cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency. We need you to let them know you support the Superfund process, as well as vital functions to prevent pollution and protect the most vulnerable residents in our state.

Background Photo of the San Jacinto River via Good Free Photos