Recycling Dos and Don’ts in Fort Bend County MUD 151

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The Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District 151 Board of Directors encourages their Firethorne neighbors to utilize recycling services through the District provider, Best Trash. In order to make certain that recycling is easy and convenient, here are some tips on what residents can do to ensure their recycling is properly processed and does not end up in a landfill.

Best Trash utilizes the services of Independent Texas Recycling (ITR), a recycling service provider that takes Firethorne residents’ recyclable waste and puts it back to use with a second life. A soda can may end up as part of a building or vehicle. However, not everything is recyclable and proper sorting and packaging of recyclables can make a huge difference in the impact each household has on recycling.

  • Here are some things to be aware of when preparing household waste for recycling:
  • Recyclables should be placed loosely in recycling bins and not placed in plastic bags. Most bagged recyclables go to landfills.
  • Shopping bags can gum up machinery if placed in recycling bins individually. Instead, place several bags in one bag and tie tightly shut to prevent damage to ITR’s equipment.
  • Flatten all types of cardboard boxes. Flattening the boxes allows material to go through the recycling process more efficient and reduces contaminants such as dirt that get into the cardboard.
  • Do not place pizza boxes with food particles on them in the recycle bin. ITR’s facility is not accepting contaminated food containers at this time.
  • If recyclables cannot fit in the provided Best Trash recycle bins, additional plastic totes or waste cans may be used for recycling. Residents should ensure that any supplemental recycling containers are clearly labeled as recyclable material to avoid items being hauled to landfills.

The lists below contain information on what should and should not be placed in recycling bins:

Recyclable NOT Recyclable
  • Paper
    • Newspapers & Inserts
    • Magazines & Catalogs
    • Junk mail, Envelopes, & File Folders
    • White & Colored Office or Computer Paper
    • Corrugated Cardboard
    • Cereal & Gift Boxes
    • Paper Bags & Phone Books
    • Wrapping Paper
    • Milk Cartons
    • Juice Boxes
    • Wax-Coated Boxes
  • Metal
    • Aluminum Cans
    • Aluminum Foil
    • Aluminum Foil Plates & Serving Containers
    • Metal Food Cans and Lids (Tin & Steel)
    • Pots & Pans
  • Glass
    • Clear & Colored
  • Plastic
    • Bottles
    • Jars
    • Tubs
    • Buckets
    • Detergent Containers
    • Pet Food Containers
  • Garden Hoses
  • Dirty Pizza Boxes
  • Styrofoam
  • Food waste
  • Hangers (metal or plastic)
  • Tied bags
  • Diapers

For more information on recycling services provided by Best Trash, residents can visit their recycling information page located here.

Did you find this article informative? If so, please share this information on your favorite social media channels to help keep your neighbors informed about recycling services in your area.