YOU
YOU MAY
YOU MAY BE TOSSING THE WRONG ITEMS INTO YOUR RECYCLING BIN.
AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY DATA
SHOWS ABOUT A
FIFTH OF EVERYTHING SENT TO THE
RECYCLING
CENTERS IS REALLY TRASH.
AND IT COSTS YOU IN THE END.
KVUE'S ERICA PROFFER FOUND OUT
WHAT WE'RE DOING
WRONG.
SHE'S NOW LIVE IN OUR STUDIO.
TAKE A LOOK AT THESE ITEMS. IN
HERE.
HERE. WHAT CAN BE RECYCLED? ERICA WILL ANSWER
IF
IF YOU
IF YOU GOT IT WRONG AT HOME. DON'T WORRY. I DID.
ERICA
ERICA WILL ANSWER IF YOU GOT IT WRONG AT HOME. DON'T WORRY. I DID.
SO, YOU'RE NOT ALONE.
"HE
"HE IS
"HE IS SIX WEEKS AND ONE DAY TODAY." WITH EACH DAY.
STEPHANIE CROCKER ENVISIONS THE
BEST LIFE FOR
HER CHILD.
"YOU KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
YOU,"
THE BEST. ENVIRONMENT.
"NEWSPAPERS, CANS"
SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS DOING HER
PART.
"UNTIL THAT WOULD GET FULL"
UNTIL A FRIEND TOLD HER THAT
15-GALLON TRASH BAG
HOLDING HER PAPER, PLASTICS AND
CANS.
WE WOULD JUST TIE IT UP
CAN'T BE RECYCLED.
"PUT EVERYTHING IN THE BLUE BIN
IN
IN THE
IN THE GARAGE" AND EVERYTHING INSIDE MAY GET TOSSED IN THE TRASH.
"I WAS TOTALLY DUMBFOUNDED. I
HAD NO IDEA" SHE THEN POSTED
ONLINE... AND LEARNED A LOT OF
OTHERS DIDN'T KNOW EITHER. ALL
BLACK GOOD FOR TRANSITION
PLASTIC BAGS ARE A BIG ISSUE.""
AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY IS IN
CHARGE OF OUR HOME RECYCLING
PICKUP. RICHARD MCHALE IS THE
INTERIM
INTERIM DIRECTOR. "THE CONVEYER SYSTEM MOVES SO FAST. IF THOSE MATERIALS ARE IN PLASTIC BAGS
THE ENTIRE MATERIAL IN THE
BAGS HAS TO BE THROWN AWAY."
TO SEE WHY..
WE WENT TO BALCONEYS RECYCLING
CENTER IN
NORTH AUSTIN.
BEEPS.
"ONCE THE TRUCKS ARRIVE,
MATERIAL IS DEPOSITED
ONTO THE FLOOR IN THIS AREA OF
THE PLANT CALLED
THE TIP FLOOR"
JOAQUIN MARIEL IS VP OF
OPERATIONS.
"ANYTHING LIKE THIS IS NOT
SUITED TO THE AUTOMATED
SORTING PROCESS"
HE SHOWS US HOW THIN PLASTIC GET
PICKED UP AND
DUMPED.
PUTTING THESE WORKERS AS THE
FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE.
EACH WORD
AND. THEY. MOVE.. FAST.
"YEAH, NOT AN EASY JOB."
BECAUSE ABOUT 20 FEET AWAY.
SEPARATION BEGINS CARDBOARD GOES OVER. OTHER RECYCLABLES FALLS THROUGH THESE DISKS.
LIKE TRASH BAGS. TANGLE AND
BUILD UP...
CLOSING THE GAP.
THE WHOLE OPERATION. STOPS.
"WE'RE SHUTTING DOWN FOR ABOUT
30 MINUTES. EVERY
30 MINUTES WE SHUT DOWN, WE'RE
NOT PROCESSING 15
TONS OF RECYCLING."
IN MAY 2018. 23-PERCENT OF WHAT
AUSTINITES
SENT HERE. WAS TRASH.
NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER IMPROVED BUT HOVERED AROUND 20%. I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT
THOUGHT THAT FOR SO
LONG"
AND STEPHANIE'S LESSON WILL
TEACH
TEACH THE
TEACH THE NEXT GENERATION. AUSTIN USES TWO RECYCLING
FACILITIES. NORTH OF THE RIVER. BALCONEYS.
SOUTH OF THE RIVER. TEXAS
DISPOSAL SYSTEMS.
DISPOSAL SYSTEMS. SO. LET'S HAVE A FRIENDLY
COMPETITION. I'LL CHECK THE NEXT AUDIT.
AROUND OCTOBER OR
NOVEMBER AND LET YOU KNOW WHO
WON.
STEPHANIE AND I ARE SOUTH AUSTIN
FOLKS. SO. YOU KNOW
WHO I'M ROOTING FOR