Coming up fast is a holiday you might not have been expecting—America Recycles Day. This initiative will take place on Friday, November 15 as part of the national Keep America Beautiful program.

Arlington has its own recycling programs along with other local events this fall to encourage environmental conscientiousness in our community. Here’s a break-down of what Arlington has done to date, and what will be taking place in coming weeks.

More than 23,000

Arlington residents recycled over 23,000 TONS of materials through the curbside recycling program last year. Nine out of 10 households participated in 2018, with that number expected to rise by the end of 2019.

These items included paper, glass, aluminum, plastic, cardboard and many other materials.

A future of standardization

The regional Know What to Throw campaign is working to raise local awareness in partnership with the City of Arlington. These efforts are moving toward standardized and simplified messaging for curb-side recycling carts. You can expect an insert in your water bill in November that talks about these updates.

This program also aims to phase out plastic bags from curbside recycling. Pizza boxes will also be eliminated. These two items have contributed to contamination in Arlington neighborhoods, which is why they’re being discontinued in the program.

12 tips for curbside recycling in Arlington

You’ve heard a million times to leave your curbside carts at least three feet away from mailboxes, vehicles and trees. In honor of America Recycles Day, here are some additional tips to get the most out of curbside recycling in Arlington:

1. Flatten any cardboard boxes
2. Ditch the plastic grocery bags altogether (since they won’t be accepted in your carts soon) and upgrade to reusable bags
3. Start breaking down pizza boxes to dispose of them elsewhere, as they’ll be discontinued from the recycling program next month
4. Don’t ever throw non-recyclables (batteries, Styrofoam, chip bags, etc.) into your cart, as they can leave contamination
5. Keep lids on any plastic bottles (this speeds up sorting at the recycling facility)
6. Remember: no Christmas lights, tinsel or wreaths can be placed in the recycling carts
7. Do not leave organic matter like leaves or limbs in the carts
8. No household hazardous waste (this must go to the Environmental Collection Center at 6400 Bridge St. in Fort Worth)
9. Pharmaceuticals and containers for pharmaceuticals must be taken to the bi-annual Drug Takeback (or to your local Walgreens drop-off any day of the year)
10. Mark your calendars for Saturday, Nov. 16 from 8am to 12pm for the annual Computer Roundup at the UTA parking lot (off Cooper Street and Doug Russel Rd.)
11. Use the City of Arlington’s Leaf Recycling Program for any leaves you rake this fall (starting Nov. 21 and running through Feb. 21, 2020)
12. Think about attending one of the two free monthly backyard compost classes to recycle those leaves and organics at home

For any questions or if you want more information about any of the above, contact the city recycling program at recycling@arlingtontx.gov or call the Action Center (817-459-6777).