Growing urban spaces require planning when it comes to trash. Garbage can pile up quickly as major cities like Houston continue to grow. The City of Houston alone creates about 4.2 million tons of waste and debris every year, just to give you an idea of how serious this issue can be. Have no fear, for a dumpster rental in Houston can be the answer to your disposal issues! However, its also good to know where all the trash goes after you throw it away, to understand why disposal rules are so important.
The waste management system is both strong and delicate at the same time. Some localities have sensitive needs when it comes to waste collection, and Houston is no exception. Many may wonder where all their trash goes when it gets picked up every week. Trash pickup is only the first step in the waste management field.
Once trash haulers pick up their loads, they are usually brought to a local transfer station. In Houston, there are several such stations. One is operated by Waste Management at the Sam Houston Transfer Station, located on Sam Houston Parkway.
Transfer stations are facilities that sort through collected trash, compacting materials designated for the local landfill. Once trash is sorted and compacted, it is then loaded on trucks for dumping at landfills. Aside from the Sam Houston Transfer Station, Houston has the JSI and Hardy Road Transfer Stations.
The primary goal of transfer stations is to lessen the number of trucks on the road for sorting and dumping. These stations streamline the disposal process, allowing waste haulers to concentrate their efforts better.
Hardy Road Transfer Station, Houston
The Atascocita Landfill in Humble, TX, is where the dumping journey finally ends. Once the truck from the transfer station arrives, the trash is dumped on the floor of a large facility where the trash is prepared for further sorting in an array of machines.
Waste is sorted primarily on recyclables vs. non-recyclables. Recyclable items are then gathered for disposal at proper recycling facilities in the Houston area.
The State of Texas alone has 129 landfills for various sorts of waste. These landfills are typically arranged in layers that look like small mountains and hills. Landfills are designed that way to help filter out certain types of bio-degradable waste. It may not look like it, yet there is a science to how landfills are designed.
Waste Management Atascocita Recycling and Disposal Facility, 3623 Wilson Road, is shown Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015, in Humble. ( Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle )
A lot of time and energy is spent keeping Houston clean. However, a lot of effort could be saved with proper trash disposal practices. Having proper waste disposal solutions in your area is crucial to a healthy and prosperous way of life. We want to help do our part in keeping Houston clean for many for years to come. Now, the next time you fill up your curbside trash or a dumpster rental, you know where all that trash ends up!
