Most residents know that trash goes in the trash cart and recycling goes in the recycling cart, but what about items that don’t belong in either—and how can residents be sure that they’re disposing of their waste correctly?
The City of Victoria Environmental Services launched its online Waste Wizard tool to help answer these questions. Residents can visit www.victoriatx.gov/wastewizard and type in the item that they’re trying to get rid of, and the Waste Wizard will tell them how to dispose of it.
Environmental Services Assistant Director Christy Youker explained that the Waste Wizard helps to supplement the City’s waste diversion efforts by raising awareness of lesser-known waste disposal methods.
“Waste disposal services can vary greatly between different cities and communities,” Youker said. “We are lucky to have many different services here in Victoria, and this new tool will help residents to take advantage of resources that are already available to them.”
One-stop shop
One of the advantages of the Waste Wizard is that it includes not only the City’s waste disposal methods (such as yard waste and household hazardous waste pickup) but other public and private resources as well. For example, typing in “propane tank” brings up a list of local businesses that can accept propane tanks for recycling.
Businesses that offer recycling or waste disposal can contact Youker at 361-485-3230 or cyouker@victoriatx.gov to be added to the Waste Wizard.
The database includes more than 200 searchable types of waste. Residents who can’t find what they’re looking for can use the Waste Wizard’s “suggest” feature to request a new entry.
How it’s funded
The Waste Wizard is part of Environmental Services’ waste diversion campaign, which aims to educate residents about proper waste disposal. The campaign is funded by grants from the Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission, Union Pacific and Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages.
Why it matters
Items that are unnecessarily thrown away can end up occupying landfill space for hundreds of years, and some can even harm the environment.
“Our landfill is a finite resource, especially when we consider how long it takes for some types of waste to decompose,” Youker said. “We want residents to be mindful of our landfill space and not take it for granted.”
Another problem occurs when residents place non-recyclable items in their recycling carts instead of using the correct method. Too many contaminants can spoil a load of recycling, which can cause it to be sent to the landfill.
The campaign also aims to discourage illegal dumping by showing residents how to legally get rid of bulky trash and other commonly dumped items.
Stay connected
To learn more about the City of Victoria Environmental Services, visit www.victoriatx.gov/environmental-services.