CELEBRATE BOXING DAY BY RECYCLING

By Ella Tyler

In British countries, the first weekday after Christmas day, generally December 26, is a public holiday called Boxing Day. When I was a child we lived in a Crown Colony and I thought Boxing Day was the day you rewrapped gifts you didn’t want and gave them to someone else – not quite the way Worldbook.com explains the holiday. It says, “The traditional celebration of Boxing Day included giving money and other gifts to charitable institutions, needy individuals, and people in service jobs. The holiday may date from the Middle Ages but the exact origin is unknown.”

It seems to me that recycling fits right into the spirit of Boxing Day. There’s plenty to recycle – the unwanted gifts, the towels that have been replaced with new ones, and the half-roll of wrapping paper you now hate. And it’s a start on a New Year’s resolution to be more green in 2007.

If you are in doubt as to whether an item you don’t want has a second (or ninth) life, check out the wish list for several local nonprofits. One group would appreciate a laptop and some monitors. Another would like a digital camera. Places that have education programs for children appreciate simple items such as 2-liter bottles, buttons, egg cartons, fabric scraps, flat cardboard, meat trays, nature magazines, neckties, shoeboxes, and wrapping paper scraps. Shelters for people and pets need bedding, clothing, and personal care items.

And then there’s the electronics – as quickly as the latest television, computer, digital camera, cellular phone, video game console, or mp3 player is unwrapped, the older model is discarded.

A study by the National Recycling Coalition found that about 1.5 million computers are taken out of service in Texas each year, but only an estimated 162,000 are recycled. Many electronics contain hazardous materials and should be disposed of as hazardous waste if not recycled.

A newly formed Houston nonprofit, Techs & Trainers Incorporated, reuses old computers as training tools for special needs workers. The refurbished computers are then used to bring technology to people with disabilities. The group can be reached by calling (713) 839-7177 or sending a note to techs1234@yahoo.com.

For the holiday season, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality updated its list of places to recycle electronics. The list can be found at TCEQ’s website (pdf).

Matt Baker, director of TCEQ’s Small Business and Environmental Assistance division, says, “Even if your computer is several years old, it is still valuable. An average personal computer typically contains 40 percent steel, 30 to 40 percent plastic, 10 percent aluminum and 10 percent other metals, including copper, gold, silver, cadmium, and platinum—all recyclable.” Baker also suggests that computer and mp3 buyers ask manufacturers if they have a take-back program.

The City of Houston will provide Christmas tree recycling drop-off sites throughout Houston from Dec 27 to Jan 9. See the City’s website. The city will also pick up trees from houses that have yard trimmings pick up.

The Houston Westpark Recycling center, 5900 Westpark, is close to a one-stop shop for recycling. It accepts Christmas trees and electronic waste as well as other recyclables. It also has an area called The ReStore, which is a book swap, a recycling information library, and a repository for items of post-consumer and post-industrial scrap for use in art projects.

The Houston Galveston Area Council’s recycling guide for our 13-county area is available on their website and the Bellaire Recycling Committee also has .a list of places to recycle.