There’s still time to enter the drawing for a free Jeep Wrangler and other prizes in honor of Texas Recycles Day. Just pledge to start a recycling program or increase your current recycling efforts by Nov. 14. Make your pledge to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.

Gov. George Bush declared Nov. 15 the second annual Texas Recycles Day at a recent meeting of the event’s steering committee, a coalition of representatives from 100 schools, government agencies, businesses, and environmental and civic groups.

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TNRCC Chairman Barry McBee says: “Each year, we put nearly 20 million tons of solid waste into Texas landfills. But that number could be much, much smaller because it’s estimated that 80 percent of that trash is recyclable. Diverting those recyclables from landfills is a Texas-sized challenge that requires a Texas-sized solution.”

The Jeep Wrangler is being provided by the Steel Recycling Institute, whose regional recycling manager, Ben Walker, also is co-chair of the steering committee. The Jeep was chosen as grand prize to symbolize the benefits of recycling because the average car contains more than 44-percent recycled steel.

“Texas Recycles Day will involve a cross-section of the public and private sector to increase public awareness of and participation in recycling. We’ll have many great prizes to award on Texas Recycles Day, but lucky Texans won’t be the only winners. Our Texas environment also will surely win,” Walker says.

Other prizes have been donated by businesses who support recycling and the environment and include five $500 shopping sprees (HEB Grocery), a Travelmate 4000 laptop computer (Texas Instruments), a $3,000 gift certificate (Home Depot), and a $2,000 vacation gift certificate (Balcones Recycling).

Winners will be selected by a random drawing of recycling pledges received by the TNRCC. The drawing will be held at the State Capitol Building in Austin Nov. 15.

Pledge cards are available at the customer service counter at Home Depot stores. You can also mail your pledge to TNRCC. Include your name, address and telephone number, and mail to: Texas Recycles day, Clean Texas 2000, Mail Code 113, TNRCC, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711.

Pledge information also is available on the Internet at: http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us.

Recyclables accepted locally include glass (clear/brown/green), aluminum, plastic, tin, newspapers and mixed paper. These items can be recycled at these locations:

  • Glass – City of Dallas igloos, Fair Oaks Transfer Station (7677 Fair Oaks).
  • Aluminum – curbside pickup, City igloos, Fair Oaks Transfer Station.
  • Plastic Bottles – curbside pickup, Kroger stores, FINA Building (off Greenville Avenue, one light south of Northwest Highway or one light north of Caruth Haven).
  • Steel Cans – curbside pickup, scrap metal businesses (check the Yellow Pages).
  • Newspaper – curbside pickup, City bins, Fair Oaks Transfer Station, Champion/SMART bins.
  • Mixed Paper – Fair Oaks Transfer Station, Champion/SMART bins.
  • Hangers/Dry Cleaning Bags – Many area dry cleaners.

For more details about recycling locations, call the City’s Recycling Office at 670-4475. For more information about Texas Recycles Day and other environmental topics, call the Clean Texas 2000 Information Hotline at 1-800-64-TEXAS.

Ozone Alert

The TNRCC has a Smoking Vehicle Program to educate the drivers of fuming, polluting cars.

The next time you see a car spewing smoke, jot down the license plate number, then call 1-800-453-SMOG. The offender will receive a letter informing them of the report and offering suggestions about correcting the problem.