Recycling at Big Bend National Park

 

Don't Trash Big Bend...RECYCLE

Over 500,000 visitors come to Big Bend National Park every year. Between visitors and park staff we end up with nearly 450 tons of garbage annually. All of this ends up in the park landfill. This is not the legacy anyone intends to leave behind.

 

Please recycle to minimize your impact on Big Bend.

NPS / C. Hoyt

Leave excess packaging behind!

When preparing for your trip, choose gear and food with the least amount of packaging or get rid of excess packaging before you leave home. Do your best to avoid buying single use products. Not only does it reduce waste when you are here, but saves you packing space!

Use Refillables!

Bring as many reusable items as possible, such as refillable water bottles, travel mugs, utensils, food containers, cooking gas canisters, and reusable bags. Use refillable propane cylinders for camp stoves and lanterns. Bonus: Refillables not only reduce waste, but save you (and us) money.

Dispose of trash and recycling properly.

Be sure to put true garbage in the garbage can and recyclable items in the recycling containers. At visitor centers, campgrounds, and most stores, you can find bins to recycle aluminum, number 1 & 2 plastics, and glass. Disposing of waste properly and recycling helps keep Big Bend beautiful, protects wildlife, and saves money!

Each year, Big Bend National Park recycles over 90,000 pounds of glass, paper products, metal, and plastic products. You can find recycling containers at every visitor center and at Cottonwood, Rio Grande Village, and Chisos Basin campgrounds. Recycle all you can at Big Bend, then take with you anything you can recycle at home. Help us preserve the beauty of Big Bend for future generations. Recycle!

 

Big Bend's Landfill

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

 

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.