An innovative partnership between a Rio Grande Valley city and
local businesses to help cut waste and enrich local crops by
closing the recycling loop has been awarded the state's highest
environmental honor, the 2008 Texas Environmental Excellence Award.
The city of McAllen is one of 12 statewide winners to be recognized
with an award, presented by the Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality at its annual banquet, to be held in Austin, April 30.
Under this recycling concept, old fruits, vegetables, and food
scraps are collected, composted, and sold back to area farmers and
residents for use on crops and lawns. Called the "Save the Greens"
program, the City of McAllen has produced more than 6,800 cubic
yards of compost since it started in December, 2006. That compost
total is expected to rise dramatically over the next several years
as the program expands.
McAllen is in the middle of one of the fastest growing regions
in the country, and has seen its population double since 1980. As
the numbers rise, so does the cost of waste — both to the
city and to the environment. Composting local, vegetative waste
diverts the materials from the landfill, reduces or eliminates the
need for fertilizers and pesticides, and increases crop yields. The
city has also partnered with other Rio Grande Valley cities, the
Texas AgriLife Extension Service, and the Sustainable Agronomic
Education Association to teach low-income families to grow their
own food organically, form a cooperative-farmers market, and
promote organic-growing practices.
This is the first program of its kind in South Texas. The city
of McAllen has invested approximately $100,000 to launch the pilot
phase of an effort it hopes eventually will include the region's
supermarkets, schools, restaurants, and produce import
businesses.
This public-private partnership reduces landfill waste while
simultaneously promoting environmentally responsible agriculture
— helping an entire region create a cleaner future.
The TCEQ annually presents the Texas Environmental Excellence
Awards to environmental projects across the state that demonstrate
excellence in resource conservation, waste reduction and pollution
prevention. The award-winning programs reflect the goals of the
TCEQ itself: to protect Texas human and natural resources and
ensure clean air, clean water and the safe management of waste. For
more information or to submit an application for next year's
awards, visit www.teea.org.
