Did you know that Texans throw away enough trash each year to fill the Astrodome every two weeks? When you throw out your trash, do you ever stop to think who will take care of it or where it goes? Since we don't see piles of paper, glass, cans, or plastic outside our front doors, most of us never have to worry about how to get rid of it. The average Americans throws out an average of 7.8 pounds per day. The United States, with only 5 percent of the world’s population, generates 50 percent of the world’s waste.

Most trash gets hauled away to landfills where it's buried. To build a landfill, a huge hole is dug and then lined with clay or huge sheets of plastic. When a landfill is full of trash, layers of soil and clay seal it inside.

The trash in a landfill lasts a long time. Garbologists study landfills by drilling core samples. Landfill excavations have discovered 35-year-old newspapers you can still read. Even after 20 years, an ear of corn and a hot dog are easily identifiable. Listed below are some basics on recycling and ideas on how you can get involved.

Recycling Basics

Different Ways to Recycle in Texas

Recyclable Materials

What Can You Do?

Suggestions for:

Businesses

Schools

Colleges

Associations or Civic Organizations

Recycling Ideas

Waste Reduction Tips

KDB has arranged sponsorship and funding for a limited number of Waste in Place workshops. If you are a Dallas Teacher who would like to participate, or if your school would like to host its own Waste in Place workshop, please contact us at info@keepdallasbeautiful.org. Or, click here for more information