Houston’s Problem

Photo by: OneEighteen

Earlier this year Waste News , a trade magazine, released a study of the recycling rates of the 30 most populated cities in the United States.  In July, The New York Times followed up with an article on how a city as large as Houston has a recycling rate of only 2.6 percent.  By comparison, three larger cities have much higher recycling rates (New York 34%, Los Angles 62% and Chicago 55.4%).  The article cited several reasons for this low rate including city sprawl, collection expenses, cheap landfill costs and lack of available recycling bins.  Houston has 25,000 residents on a waitlist for as long as 10 years for 18-gallon recycling bins.  The bins only cost $6.25 a piece ($160,000 total), but the city says it cannot afford the bins.  

Fortunately, there are people like Stephen Elliot, author and founder of The Progressive Reading Series, who have taken action.  Stephen Elliot chronicled his actions in an article recently posted on The Huffington Post.  He hosted an event in San Francisco that raised money to buy 276 recycling bins for Houston, and called upon Exxon Mobil to do its part:

“Exxon, based in Houston, is the most profitable company in the world, clearing almost sixteen billion dollars last quarter.  Like most oil companies they are repositioning themselves as environmentally friendly.  It would cost around $160,000 to clear Houston’s recycling bin waitlist.  Exxon makes that much profit every minute.”

Houston ranks second to New York among cities with the most Fortune 500 companies.  It’s a shame that companies headquartered in Houston like Exxon, BP, Shell, Halliburton and Pennzoil have not addressed this easily resolvable environmental problem that is knocking at their front doors.