Published on November 15, 2024
SAN ANTONIO (November 15, 2024) – Today, on America Recycles Day, the City of San Antonio Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) highlights the brainchild of two Texans, Kevin Tuerff and Valerie Davis. In 1994, these Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) employees transformed a recycling campaign from Texas Recycles Day to America Recycles Day with the support of the National Recycling Coalition.
This year, San Antonio has made another significant impact on recycling by being home to the most automated recycling facility in the country, operated by Balcones Resources. This 145,000-square-foot materials recovery facility (MRF) can process 50 tons of recycling each hour, which are sold across North America. This unique facility’s viewing gallery and observation deck will allow visitors to see the recycling process in action through tours and workshops. Students, community organizations, homeowners associations, and other groups can host meetings at the facility to deepen their understanding of how recycling works.
“We have learned from speaking with our customers that if they knew more about the recycling process, they would be more inclined to increase their recycling efforts with a sense of ownership to the process,” SWMD Marketing Manager Marcus Lee said.
SWMD encourages residents to think about recycling every day, not just on November 15. For information on the City’s recycling program, visit SARecycles.org. To learn more about America Recycles Day visit the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s website.
Marcus Lee 210-207-6463 Email Media Contact