Recycling continues to grow in our City. Even with past years’ short comings when the City’s economic conditions made it difficult to implement recycling programs, we are now on the road of recycling for a better environment.

Let’s take a look at our progress.

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Today, more and more schools, government offices, corporations, churches and businesses, as well as you and I, are actively reducing or recycling what in the past went into the garbage can. Here in Dallas, we have so much to be excited about.

Just to mention a few examples: Since its implementation two years ago, City Hall’s office paper recycling program has cut in half the amount of waste that is disposed. An average of 300 tons of paper per month are being recycled through the newspaper drop-off sites. The sites at Northbuck Park and First Community Church are the movers and shakers, recycling the most newspapers.

To make things even better, now we have added mixed paper to some of the sites. All that stuff you get in the mail, without asking, better known as junk mail, as well as cereal boxes, office paper and any other type of paper, can now be recycled. Your nearest site is located at 7677 Fair Oaks.

The Igloo program also continues to grow, recovering clear, brown and green glass. Please, place your green glass with the brown glass.

Now, let’s talk organic recycling. Did you know that since our City decided to stop collecting grass clippings 18 months ago, nine municipalities have followed? We now have a composting facility that processes brush, leaves and grass. All together this represents 16 percent of what used to be disposed of at the landfill. During the holidays, along with the Christmas tree recycling program, we will be giving free compost and mulch.

Let’s talk curbside recycling. Some of you now have the convenience to recycle from home. Your plastic bottles, aluminum and steel cans, as well as your newspapers, magazines and catalogs, are now recycled with our partners in recycling – Laidlaw Waste Systems and Resource Marketing. We all are firmly committed to putting forth every effort to make it a successful program and to add more recyclable materials to the Blue Bag program.

I thank you on behalf of the City for your dedication and drive to enhance the quality of life in our City. After all, great cities are made of great people, and it is the people that ultimately create the environment in which they want to live. Our kids want a clearer, cleaner, safer and greener Big D.