When we originally moved to Houston from San Diego, one of our first questions to the previous owner was "when is your recycling picked up?" His response was "we don't really do that here". I am happy to report that our once lone blue bag on our street is now joined by many throughout the neighborhood. In California you were required to recycle half your trash. At first, this was an inconvenience; then it became a way of life. While the site of Styrofoam still shocks me sometimes, we have adapted our recycling ways to Texas and hope to share a few tips occasionally in my blog.

According to an article I read today "75% of the waste we generate in American homes is recyclable but less that 35% actually making it to a recycling center."

Tip #1 - Make it easy to recycle
If all your recycling bins are in the garage you most likely will not use them. Why? It's easier and more convenient to just throw it away. Our solution was to buy two large baskets to put under the "this is WAY to small to use as a desk" that is in many homes. One is for plastics, bottles, cans, and glass - the second is outfitted with a paper bag for newspapers and the remaining space collects cardboard. When these fill up, we then march them out to the recyling collection in the garage. You may even want to add a separate basket near a desk area for recyclables.

If you are looking for something a little more decorative there are many other solutions offered online like this Hands Free, Stainless Triple Bin Recycler