Sept 8 - TX - Dallas Launches Carton Recycling

Dallas is the first major city in Texas to launch a curbside carton recycling program.

According to Mary Nix, Director of Sanitation Services:
" Dallas is proud to be the first big city in Texas to make sure that liquid food and beverage cartons are recycled and kept out of landfills. Carton recycling is good for our customers and for the environment."

Under the new initiative, residents will be able to place all empty cartons – such as milk and juice cartons, along with soup and broth, soy milk and wine cartons – in their blue recycling bins or community recycling drop off containers.

The implementation of carton recycling in Dallas is the latest example of a national trend, spurred by the Carton Council, an industry group of carton manufacturers.  In 2008, only 18% of U.S. households had access to carton recycling programs.  Today, this number has nearly doubled to almost 36%, with cities in over 40 states representing approximately 40 million households now accepting cartons in their curbside collection programs.  Dallas increases these numbers by an additional 235,000 households, and is setting the bar for other cities in the state of Texas to follow suit.  Dallas also joins a growing number of cities across the country such as Los Angeles, New York, and Boston that have expanded their recycling programs to include cartons.

Dallas and other cities across the country view carton recycling as a valuable means to helping to achieve their goals of diverting waste from landfills and increasing recycling overall. 

Last year, the City of Dallas recycled more than 50,000 tons of materials and is on track to recycle nearly 65,000 tons this year.  Carton recycling will help the city toward their 31% diversion goal for the year.  By increasing their recycling rate and coming up with innovative ways to increase waste diversion, the city saved $1,185,260.21 of landfill space.

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