College Station Recycles!

CITY OF COLLEGE STATION

out your pick-up day. The city accepts clear and brown glass containers and jars, No. 1 and No. 2 plastic, aluminum and steel cans, newspapers and inserts, magazines, white paper and even car batteries.

Did you know there is also a drop-off center for used oil, oil filters, cell phones, small electronics, mp3 players and phone books? The facility is located behind the police department at 2613 Texas Avenue South.

The Brazos Valley Solid Waste Management Agency (BVSWMA) also recycles certain items. BVSWMA operates the regional landfill and recycles used oil, oil filters and cooking oil. There is also a recycling area for washers, dryers, refrigerators and freezers and metal. Tires can be dropped off at the landfill for a small fee. Visit the BVSWMA website at cstx.gov/landfill for more information.

Inside College StationFrom the City of College Station, Home of Texas A&M University • College Station, Texas

Did you know College Station residents throw away an average of 170 pounds of material every month per home? That is close to 6 pounds per day!

The College Station Recycling Division encourages you to keep a close eye on what is getting dumped in the trash can. Odds are, you are not recycling as much as you should be. In most cases, 80 percent of your garbage is recyclable or compostable.

Why Recycle?Recycling saves landfill space, conserves energy, preserves our natural resources, and reduces the amount of trash you throw away.

College Station residents can conveniently put items to be recycled on the curb for disposal on their designated curbside pickup day. Visit cstx.gov/recycle to find

August 2010

Things to Remember Before you throw something away, ask yourself if it can be recycled. Always look for the recycle symbol on products. Remember that most glass, aluminum and plastic bottles are recyclable.

Want to Learn More?Interested in having your group learn more about College Station’s Recycling Program? Representatives of the city’s Recycling Division can visit your school function or event for a presentation and recycle relay.

Our recycling experts will give a quick talk about what can and cannot be recycled, followed by a recycle relay in which participants will use what they learned to sort through garbage. When all is sorted, only two items out of the completely full garbage bin are actually garbage. This recycle relay illustrates how little garbage you actually have compared to how much you can recycle or compost.

For more information on College Station’s Recycling Program, visit cstx.gov/recycle or call Recycling Coordinator Heather Qualls at 979.764.6229.

• Itcantakeupto500 yearsfor aluminumcanstodecomposein ourlandfill.

• Nearly120,000 cansarerecycled everyminutenationwide

• Aluminummayberecycledinto aluminumfoil,licenseplatesand eventhumbtacks.

• Ittakesabout1,000,000 years forglasstobreakdownnaturally.

• Ittakes8-10 weeksforaglass containertoberecycledandreturned backtothestoreshelf.

DIDYOUKNOW?

If everyone in the U.S. recycled only 10 percent of their newspapers, it would save 25 million trees each year.

Buying a Home? --------------------Making a higher down payment when purchasing a home can help lower monthly mortgage payments. Two programs are available in the City of College Station to assist income-eligible homebuyers with down payment costs.

First, College Station’s Down Payment Assistance Program helps income-eligible homebuyers with down payment and closing costs. Qualified buyers may be eligible to receive an interest-free deferred loan in the amount of 10 percent of the sales price of the house, up to $10,000.

Second, the Individual Development Account (IDA) is a matched savings account that enables low-income families to save money and build assets.

A partnership between the United Way of the Brazos Valley and the Brazos Valley Community Action Agency rewards the savings of families that are working toward purchasing an asset. The most common are buying their first home, paying for post-secondary education, or starting a small business. At the end of the savings period, their money will be matched 2-to-1. For example, if the participant saves $2,000, the

CITY OF COLLEGE STATION

INSIDE COLLEGE STATION August 2010 • PAGE 2

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FamilySwimNightAdamsonLagooncstx.gov/pools_____________________

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ExploringHistoryLunchLecture979.764.3491_____________________

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FirstDayofSchoolCSISD_____________________

_____________________August 25-28 MasterCompostTrainingProgram_____________________

Formoreeventinformation,visitcstx.gov

Recycling Extravaganza ------------The Brazos Valley Solid Waste Management Agency (BVSWMA) will host its third annual Recycling Extravaganza on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Post Oak Mall.

Created for all ages, the event will include vital information about waste reduction, hazardous waste, recycling, composting, water and energy conservation, and much more to help educate the public on resources, programs and services available to them in the community.

Citizens Police Academy ---------Ever wonder what it’s like to be on the police end of a traffic stop? What about how police conduct building searches? Then join in on the fun in the next Citizens Police Academy, hosted by the College Station Police Department.

Citizens Police Academy is a great opportunity for community members to gain a better understanding of the responsibilities and challenges of the police profession. Academy participants often become active supporters of the department and volunteer with various programs and events.

Registration is underway for the next session, which will be held Tuesdays from Sept. 7 through Nov. 16 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. For more information, contact Sgt. Janice Kemp at jkemp@cstx.gov or call 979.764.3624.

Exploring History Lunch -----------Stephen L. Moore’s book “Eighteen Minutes, The Battle of San Jacinto and the Texas Independence Campaign” will be the topic at the Exploring History Lunch Lecture on Aug. 18 at the College Station Conference Center, which is located at 1300 George Bush Dr. Moore will discuss the book and will also be available to sign copies.

The event starts at 11:30 a.m. A light luncheon will be served for $5 per person. The programs are videotaped and broadcast weekly on CSTV-19 (Suddenlink).

Reservations are required and can be made by calling 979.764.3491 or by e-mailing Heritage Programs Coordinator Anne Boykin at aboykin@cstx.gov.

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money is matched with $4,000, resulting in a total balance of $6,000.

To learn more about the city’s Down Payment Assistance Program and the United Way’s Individual Development Account Program, please visit us at cstx.gov/housingassistance or contact the Economic and Community Development Department at 979.764.3778.

Get Social! ----------------------------Looking for an easier way to stay informed and up-to-date on news and events in College Station? Then join one or all of our social media outlets. Links to the city’s Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Flickr pages are available by visiting the city’s homepage at cstx.gov. Check them out today and be sure to recommend our Facebook page to your friends!

Don’t forget about Access, the city’s weekly e-newsletter, which is packed with timely information on events and programs going on in College Station. Sign up for Access by visiting cstx.gov/access.