LUBBOCK, Texas — The phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” resonates deeply in the City of Lubbock, especially as the city celebrates ‘America Recycles Day.’ EverythingLubbock found out just how recycling efforts not only benefit the environment, but also bolster local economic growth.

Morgan Ercanbrack, the city’s recycling supervisor, said recycling isn’t just about sorting plastics and paper. It’s a thriving industry that “creates jobs for those collecting and processing materials. But also for those manufacturing materials,” Ercanbrack said.

Job creation
The roles of those who collect and process recyclable materials contribute directly to keeping the recycling chain moving, ensuring that valuable resources are not lost to landfills.
However, the influence goes deeper.
For instance, Lubbock has plans to establish a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), a facility that separates and sorts recyclable materials to be sold to manufacturers as materials for new products. This means there will jobs in the front line with collecting and processing and then secondary jobs to support the industry which may include finance and marketing, according to Ercanbrack.

Trash into treasure
Recycling turns trash into valuable materials, reducing the need for new resources and lowering manufacturing costs, Ercanbrack explained.
“We take items and recycle them into new products to be reused as valuable resources,” Ercanbrack said.
They find use in what was once just thrown away, boosting Lubbock’s economy.

The future outlook
Looking forward, Lubbock’s focus on recycling will keep helping the economy grow. By turning waste into valuable resources, the city gets greener and stronger economically.

Recycling comes at no cost to Lubbock residents and can be done at any of the following locations:

City of Lubbock Locations

Operates Monday-Saturday: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed during City of Lubbock Holidays.

Accepts:

  • Plastics: Type 1, 2, Clear, Color, Opaque Only
  • Tin, Aluminum
  • Newspaper, Computer Paper
  • Cardboard

Satellite Locations

Operates 24 hours / 7 days a week

  • United Supermarkets: 2630 Parkway Drive
  • United Market Street: 4425 19th Street
  • United Market Street: 3405 50th Street
  • United Supermarkets: 8010 Frankford Avenue
  • LP&L McCullough Substation: 2901 Elgin Avenue
  • Northridge Elementary: 6302 11th P *cardboard
  • Texas Tech: North of the Physical Plant at 3122 Main Street

Accepts

  • Plastics: Type 1, 2, Clear, Color, Opaque Only
  • Tin, Aluminum
  • Newspaper, Computer Paper

To learn more about solid waste management and recycling efforts in Lubbock and how to prepare for recycling materials, visit the City of Lubbock’s website.