Project Name:  Recycling Program
Basin: R
Sub-watershed Description: The program affects all watersheds that share a
portion of their area with the City of Laredo limits.  These include the Chacon
Creek, Zacate Creek, Sombrerito Creek and Manadas Creek Watersheds.

Lead Entity: Public Works, City of Laredo
Other Participants: None
Funding Source: City of Laredo
Amount of Funding: N/A
Project Start Year: 1994
Project Finish Year: Ongoing

Contact:  Jose M. Guerra
          Director of Public Works
          P.O. Box 579
          4312 Daugherty
          Laredo, Tx  78042
          tel: (956) 795-2500
          fax: (956) 795-2507

Abstract: The City of Laredo Public Works presently operates it's recycling
program under the curbside and bag (blue bags) recovery system.  The City of
Laredo provides refuse and recycling collection for approximately 31,800
households and 4,200 mul tifamily residences. The City recycles paper (office,
white, mixed, newsprint, periodicals, cardboard, etc.), plastics (#1 and #2) and
metals (ferrous and nonferrous).  The "Blue Bag" recycling program has been
actively recycling materials since Nove mber 1995 when the Laredo Materials
Recovery Facility (MRF) came on line.  The MRF is located at the entrance to the
municipal landfill and takes in an average of 50 tons of recyclable materials
per week form the community of Laredo.  Waste diversion away from the municipal
landfill is one of the primary goals of the recycling program.
The program strives to increase the participation  rate of it's citizens and the
educational campaign designed for this program focuses on students of preschool
age all the way to the university level.

Progress to Date: The City of Laredo is, at all times striving to improve the
well being of it's citizens in one form or another, the recycling program is no
exception.  In conjunction with the City's public access channel, the Public
Works is curren tly holding "Produce Your Own Recycling Public Service
Announcement".  Schools are invited to submit 30 second PSA scripts about
recycling with the winners producing and casting their PSA.  On November 15,
1997, Public Works will be hosting "Texas Re cycles Day" along with the
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event hosted by the City of Laredo
Environmental Engineering Division.

Laredo has been recognized by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
as a Clean Texas 2000 member, an honor shared by less than 120 cities in Texas.

Category : I, M, E