Grapevine details brush recycling pick up program, new schedule

After auditing trash routes, city officials found "tons" of brush on sidewalks every week, Environmental Manager Dewey Stoffels said.

"It just made sense that if we could divert it [away from the landfill] we should do it," he said. "It's not too big of a problem."

While there was some confusion from residents about the alternating schedule during the pilot program, the city has taken steps to make keeping track of the schedule as easy as possible, Stoffels said.

A smartphone app called My Waste is available for free to remind residents what recyclables go where on which week, Stoffels said.

Grapevine was one of the first cities in the state adopt use of the app, Stoffels said.

Residents not sure where to put which recycleable can also search specific items on the recycling subsection of the city website.

"The trick will be getting used to the days when it's picked up," Councilman Mike Lease said. "It's easy for me–I just put it out the Tuesday night after City Council meetings," he said.

The program was introduced to about 2,700 residents on a trial basis last year. Only a few hundred responded to a feedback questionnaire after the trial, but there was not enough resistance for the council to nix the program, Mayor William Tate said at the council meeting on Jan. 22 when the program was approved.

The recycling program is the latest step in Grapevine's efforts to become more eco-friendly. Since starting a recycling cart program in November 2012, there has been an 84 percent increase in recyclables collected, according to information available on the city's website.

Diverting waste away from landfills will save the city money in the long run, Lease said.

"It costs a lot to create new sites," he said of the landfills that should be less full under the new program.

"Just for me I notice things I used to throw away as a kid going into these bags," he said of the wider variety of waste being recycled.

My Waste smartphone app

This free smartphone app tells users what items can be recycled and when items should be put out to be picked up.

Accepted materials

Furniture

Tables, chairs, couches, stools, beds, mattresses, box springs

Large appliances containing refrigerant (must be tagged by a licensed technician)

Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers

Metal items

Washers, dryers, dishwashers, stoves, microwaves, hot water tanks, barbecue pits, metal garage doors, bicycles, swing sets, metal bedframes

Construction and remodeling materials

Shingles, windows, doors, fencing, bathtubs, shower stalls, sinks, toilets, carpeting, linoleum, tiles

Yard waste

Accepted: leaves, plant trimmings, cut flowers, weeds, prunings, brush, small branches, grass clippings, tree stumps, large branches

Not accepted: rocks, dirt, soil, any nonorganic item, lumber