Quick, We Need a Diversion!

Recycling bins in front of the visitor center at Panther Junction

J. Jurado

"For most National Park visitors, the concept of ""going green"" is well known and already put into practice, but the park is nearing a critical need for even more help on this front.

Did you know that Big Bend National Park is one of two national parks that has an active landfill? Located along the Grapevine Hills Road, the park's landfill consists of about 15 acres fenced in to prevent bears and other wildlife from accessing the site. The park's trash truck makes bi-weekly visits to deposit and bury waste generated by park staff as well as visitors.

By current estimates, this landfill has only 3 to 5 years left before it reaches capacity. Doing everything possible to extend the life of this landfill while park management identifies other alternatives is a top priority.

How can you help? Here is where we need a diversion! Diverting trash from this landfill can be done in a variety of ways:

1) Don't generate trash

(or even generate recycling) to begin with! The best way to avoid filling bins anywhere is to first reduce, then reuse, and finally recycle.

Step one is to avoid single-use items. Bring your own refillable water bottle instead of buying bottled water. Bring a coffee thermos instead of taking a paper cup and lid from the gas station or store. Pack your food in reusable containers instead of single-use plastic bags. Bring your own cloth bags to stores to avoid needing to take a plastic or paperbag to trasnport home items.

2) Recycle whenever possible

At visitor centers, campgrounds, and most stores, you can find bins to recycle aluminum, number 1 and 2 plastics, and glass. Please remember to recycle responsibly—recycling improperly can be even worse than not recycling at all, as trash contaminates the process. Remove lids from plastic and glass containers. Rinse out sugary items to avoid attracting bees and wasps.

This all helps the process both at the collection site and in the recycling facility that the park maintenance staff operates. Once recycling is collected and sorted, it is stored until it can be driven to recycling facilities in Midland, where proceeds generated from these deliveries help offset the cost of the park's recycling program.

3) Take ""pack it in, pack it out"" to the next level!

Pack it in, pack it all the way out. If your trip generates trash, do you really want it to be left buried in this park? Please take it home with you if at all possible, so that your trash goes into your home landfill.

Plans are in the works for increasing recycling opportunities within the park, looking at landfill options outside of the park, and identifying potential grant sources to help make the park more sustainable going into the future. But we can't be successful in this endeavor without your help!

We recognize that we have room to improve ourselves. Plans are underway to improve our recycling containers and messaging, as well as to find sustainable options to manage trash or the next generations. So stay tuned for more improvements to come!

Park Ranger Jennette Jurado