As much as we love recycling, we recognize that there are issues still surrounding the recycled materials industry in the United States today. Back in 1960, Americans produced about 2.68 pounds of trash per day, which had increased to around 4.51 pounds by 2017—and according to the most recent EPA data, reached about 4.9 pounds per day by 2018. Despite the efforts of many citizens to recycle and diligently separate items, a significant number of recyclables ultimately do not get recycled.

We all make New Year’s resolutions. For some of us, it is a resolution to get healthier by losing weight and exercising more. For others, the resolutions might be more focused on career paths or on improving personal relationships. But how about making a resolution that helps the planet: Do more cardboard and paper recycling this year!

Just as households produce waste, businesses do, too—and significantly more than most think. From the manufacturing floor to the break room and everywhere in between, industrial and commercial waste is a massive cost of doing business in today’s world. In fact, in our local community of Plano, Texas commercial companies alone account for over 70% of the city’s solid waste. There is a strong incentive to reduce the amount of industrial and commercial waste that ends up in landfills—not just in Plano but across growing communities in all North Texas.

One of Texas Recycling’s favorite annual events is coming soon: America Recycles Day is November 15, 2025. Did you know this is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to recycling and recycling education? It’s true. In fact, it was established to promote the benefits of recycling programs in communities across America. This special day, overseen by Keep America Beautiful, is meant to motivate, educate, and raise awareness about recycling nationwide. As a recycling company committed to sustainability, Texas Recycling encourages everyone to participate—especially those looking to support can recycling Dallas programs and other local initiatives.

Schoolhouse Rock was an animated Saturday morning children’s television series that aired on ABC from 1973 to 1979. Despite it having been taken off the air many years ago, schools today can use it to educate students about various grammar, math, history, and government topics. We bring this up because of one episode in particular: I’m Just a Bill. In this episode, a rolled-up piece of paper tells his story about starting as an idea and going through the proper channels of government to become a law. Being in the recycling business, this got us thinking about the rolled-up piece of paper itself, and if students ever wonder, how was the paper created for the bill to be written on? Did the bill contain any recycled paper? Furthermore, what does the lifecycle of recycled paper look like?