Recycling

Park Employees at the Recycling Center

NPS Photo/Matthew Yarbrough

 

Big Bend National Park started recycling in the late 1990s when volunteers began a grassroots recycling program with a few labeled barrels and a commitment to going green. Today, the program has grown in a big way, and we currently divert about 24% of the total waste generated in the park, or about 136 tons a year, and we're hoping to nearly double that rate of recycling by 2016.

We recycle glass, cardboard, paperboard, mixed paper, aluminum, steel, tin, and plastics #1 and #2. From our maintenance facilities, we also collect car and truck tires, used motor oil, batteries, steel, brush and yard clippings. You can find recycling containers at every visitor center and at Cottonwood, Rio Grande Village, and Chisos Basin campgrounds.

 

Recycling Fast Facts

How much water do we save by recycling one ton of paper? How much petroleum do you save by recycling plastic bottles? Visit the recycling fast facts page to find the answers.

 

Big Bend's Landfill

Big Bend National Park has its own landfill inside the park, and recycling helps us to use it as efficiently as possible. Visit the landfill page for more information.