The recycling center at 3602Â Center St. closed “pretty suddenly” on New Year’s Eve, reader Debnil Chowdhury reports — with these pics from the scene at the corner of Harvard St.: “Not sure how long the sign was up . . . I don’t remember seeing it a week or two ago but I might have missed it.” The sign directs would-be bottle tossers to 2 remaining City of Houston facilities:
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“I live very close to the center and received a letter from the City of Houston that we would be receiving green recycling bins,” writes Chowdhury. But the bins, he says, “never seemed to materialize. Will be interesting to see what Admiral Linen does with the land. Seems like a prime spot for more apartments or townhomes eventually. Relatively close to the Grocers Supply sale which happened last week.”
- Previously on Swamplot: Heights-Area Recycling Center Going to the Cleaners
Photos: Debnil Chowdhury
I saw the sign that they were closing the site, but I thought it had a date before xmas. The Westpark location is much better, but this one was closer to where I live. Argh.
Sad to see it go; used it all the time. Although I’m in the Heights and am suppossed to get a green trash can, I’ve been unable to get one from the city. Apparently my house is not in the “zone” even though both houses on either side have them.
Greg – if the city is picking up recycling from your neighbors, it will pick it up from your house. Just buy a recycling bin from Sears or Home Depot or somewhere, doesn’t have to be green. And pop it out there on recycle day. They don’t take glass though.
Cottage Grove received its bin a few weeks back. They are identical to the garbage cans except for being green. The only dumb thing is that the pickup day is the same as trash day. If your street is full of on street parkers, then having an extra bin for recycling is practically impossible on trash day.
So frustrating to see it get harder and harder to recycle in the Houston area. The city seems to be shutting down key pieces of the “old” recycling system while expanding the single-stream collection area at an absurdly glacial pace, leading to a lot of neighborhoods (including mine!) left with fewer and less convenient options. I will probably schlep my glass to the Crosstimbers dump facility, but most of my neighbors will not recycle since the city has made it so difficult. It seems like almost no one cares about this in a city that already has one of the worst recycling rates in the country… it’s just sad.
Really too bad. When I renovated my kitchen I had a ton of cardboard boxes and I made the trip maybe three times a week. We also have not received our large recycle bins (15th @ Allston) even though just a few blocks over they have them. Where the heck are these “zones”?
Hated to lose the Center St recycling, probably won’t go up the N. Main site – sketchy area. Not chauffeuring my 2 little boxes of glass over to Westpark.
Is there anything we can do about this? With less recycling locations and no recycling pickup, this is a step backward.
@TXdesign: The most recent single-stream expansion in the Heights included 11th to 20th from Studewood to Yale and 7th and 11th from Nicholson to Shepherd but left out 11th to 20th between Shepherd and Yale (where you and I live). This is despite practically everyone I know signing petitions, writing letters, calling Ellen Cohan etc. asking for us to be included. I understand that rollout takes time, but I had single stream in 2010 when I lived in Montrose, so the speed (or lack thereof) is a bit mind-boggling, esp. as the city sells off its recycling centers to profit from the land.
Noooo! This is my go-to place when I actually need to collect boxes for moving. Yes, I know you’re not *technically* supposed to do that, but isn’t re-using even better than re-cycling??
Pardon my language, but this is absolute bullshit and a total fail for the city. This is convenient for a multitude of people living in the VERY residential areas of the Heights, Washington Ave, Rice Military, and Midtown. Great job to whoever allowed this to happen. You’re an idiot who clearly doesn’t care about taking care of the planet. I live in a highrise so do not have any of the options of the common resident but I had no problem doing it on my own. Thanks for making this more difficult.
@Matt Shelton
If you read the article you will see that the city sold the property to Admiral Linen, a business adjacent to the property. While I will miss the convenience of the site I do understand the business decision. I am sure it costs the city money to maintain these sites.
The lot is going to be Admiral Linen’s new employee parking lot.
Don’t know where “Debnil” gets his/her information from…
I’ve got to agree with Matt Shelton, the current recycling effort is designed to fail the residents that are trying to utilize it. I suggest those in Ellen Cohen”s district take their recycling material over to her lawn and dump it there to make a point. The single stream roll out is taking too long while the collection centers have closed, it does not make sense. The fact that Houston does not charge for waste removal in the first place is ridiculous also.
Texas needs a Bottle deposit bill sooner than later, if only to help clean up the Bayous we can now see thanks to the Buffalo bayou Partnership.
Support the bill introduced to the House, HB 1473 by Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, HB-calls for cash incentives for recycling many beverage containers. State Senator Rodney Ellis has also introduced the same bill into the senate
http://www.texasbottlebill.com
I take back my earlier comment. I assumed Admiral Linen was using it to expand their business but it seems it will just be a parking lot for their employees. Wow, losing a recycling center to build a parking lot. That’s so Texas.
Steven, it was conjecture on the long term plans for the entire site by me, a neighbor of the site….Notice the word “eventually” and “seems like”. Yes, it’s initially going to be utilized as an employee parking lot, but hard to believe that long term Admiral Linen will stay. The trend in the area for any company with strong dependence on warehouse/distribution needs in the area has recently been to sell to developers and move out of the area. The increasing traffic on Center/Studemont/Washington makes the area increasingly difficult for trucks to move in an out of the area. Also the steady increase in land values will at least lead to any business owner with a brain and with a large parcel of land in the area to look at the possibilities of moving….as was the case with San Jacinto Stone (new LA Fitness, Guitar Center, Sprouts), Trinity Industries (Walmart) , Grocers Supply (400+apts, retail, movie theater), Studemont Kroger, Detering Lumber (on sale now). Living in the area, I’ve noticed my commute time to downtown increase by a factor of 2 (from 5 minutes to 10 minutes). Hard to believe that the traffic situation will get any better with Archstone Memorial Heights converting their complex to a high density property, 400+ new apts in the Grocers Supply site, and a new 24 floor office building being built behind the Bank of America on Washington. All of this development with absolutely zero changes in the surrounding infrastructure as of now will lead to some nightmarish traffic on S. Heights Blvd, Studemont, and Washington…the 3 main access roads for Admiral Linen….so all of these facts led to my conjecture about the long term, but yes it will initially be used as a parking lot:-) Have a nice day!
Well I guess a parking lot is preferable to more douchey stucco monstrosities. Shame though, now I’ll have to go to westpark, but at least there they unload it for you..