Every year on November 15th communities across the state gather to observe Texas Recycles Day.  Every day, small communities across the Panhandle work hard to recycle and divert waste from area landfills.  In fiscal year 2024, the communities across the region recycled more than 598 thousand pounds of material like cardboard, newspapers, office paper, plastics, tires, electronics, scrap metal, scrap tires, concrete and used motor oil. 

The current national recycling rate is at 21%.  Texas Recycles Day aims to raise public awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of recycling.  Hopefully through this education we can raise the rate of recycling in our neighborhoods.  Recycling not only conserves natural resources and saves energy, but also reduces the amount of landfill space used each year, which saves residents money by avoiding the need for new, very expensive landfills.

As a part of Texas Recycles Day, the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission (PRPC) announces the 2024 winners of the Panhandle Environmental Partnership’s (PEP) Annual Recycling and Composting Awards.  The PEP awards recognize those Panhandle communities having recorded the highest per capita recycling and/or composting diversion for the year.

The City of Canadian has received the PEP Recycling Award by diverting .755 pounds of material per resident per day through its community recycling program. In FY 2024, the City of Canadian recycled more than 598,700 pounds of material.  These materials include cardboard and scrap metal.  The City of Canadian started their recycling program in 1997 and has continued recycling for the past 27 years. Serving a small population of 2,173 residents, this program is a great example of what can be accomplished.

The City of Borger has also claimed the PEP Composting Award for being the Panhandle’s most proficient composting community.  The City of Borger initiated their residential yard waste diversion program in 2009. The program started with the purchase of 160 yard waste dumpsters to divert the waste stream from the landfill. The City of Borger has been dedicated to the continuance and improvement of the program ever since. In FY 2024, the City of Borger diverted .25 pounds per resident per day. This equates to more than 1 million pounds of yard waste and wood waste per year.

It takes many years and a lot of taxpayer dollars to permit and build a new landfill and the efforts of these and all the recycling centers in the Panhandle to help extend the life of our landfills, which, in turn, saves everyone money.  The PRPC and PEP thank all the recycling centers in the Panhandle for what they do all year round! 

IN PHOTO ABOVE: Canadian was recognized by the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission as the regional top recycler in 2024. The award was presented during the Canadian Rotary Club's Monday lunch meeting. Shown in photo are Tommy Wyatt, City Public Works Director; Tim Cook, Sanitation Superintendent; Daphne Morcom, Regional Services Program Specialist, Panhandle Regional Planning Commission; and Brandon Paige, Service Technician.

For more information on recycling in the Panhandle, contact Daphne Morcom with the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission at (806) 372-3381.