Behind the Scenes at Balcones Recycling

Blog cover image reading "Behind the Scenes at Balcones Recycling".

By Josiah Sananda AUSTIN, TX (September 20, 2024) – We just wrapped up an incredible tour of the Balcones Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Austin, and wow, was it enlightening! If you’ve ever wondered what happens to your recyclables after they leave your blue cart, this is where the real action takes place. Balcones Recycling […]

Tour the Recycle & Reuse Drop-Off Center (RRDOC)

Cover image reading, "An Eye-Opening Tour of the Recycle and Reuse Drop-Off Center".

By Josiah Sananda AUSTIN, TX (September 10, 2024) – Recently, Keep Austin Beautiful had the opportunity to tour our local Recycle and Reuse Drop-Off Center (RRDOC) in Austin, Texas. It was nothing short of eye-opening! If you’ve ever wondered what happens to those tricky-to-recycle items like old electronics, tires, or even Styrofoam, this place is […]

Guest Blog: Sarah’s Fellowship Experience

Photo of Sarah Makutu, fellow at Keep Austin Beautiful on a kayak.

AUSTIN, TX (July 2, 2024) – Hey there / Bula Vinaka! I’m Sarah Makutu, hailing from the picturesque island of Beqa in Fiji. I’m thrilled to be part of Keep Austin Beautiful as a Professional Oceania Fellow. This opportunity is part of the Young Pacific Leaders Professional Oceania program, a platform that brings together young […]

Day of Service at LBJ ECHS With Texas Roadhouse

Cover image reading, "Texas Roadhouse + Keep Austin Beautiful Day of Service at LBJ Early College High School".

AUSTIN, TX (April 22, 2024) – LBJ Early College High School is an iconic part of Austin Independent School District. On Tuesday, April 23, from 12:00 – 3:00 PM, over 400 Texas Roadhouse employees from across the United States, who are in Austin for their annual conference, are volunteering with Keep Austin Beautiful to provide […]

Earth Month 2024 | April 20th Day of Service

Cover image for Keep Austin Beautiful Day 2024 on April 20, 2024.

AUSTIN, TX (April 18, 2024) – Austin is a city known for its beauty; from Lady Bird Lake, to our parks and creeks, Austin’s beautiful outdoor spaces provide ample opportunity for Austinites to gather in nature. But Austin has a litter problem, and as the city grows, so does the amount of litter. Since 1985, […]

Keep Austin Beautiful 2023 Annual Report

Cover image reading "Keep Austin Beautiful Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report".

AUSTIN, TX (November 4, 2023) – Keep Austin Beautiful is thrilled to share our Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2023! Read on for an introduction to the report by Keep Austin Beautiful CEO Rodney Ahart. ———————————————————— Dear Friends, Thank you for your unwavering belief in the Keep Austin Beautiful mission. Since our founding in 1985, […]

How to Make Your Own Seed Balls

Keep Austin Beautiful volunteers throwing seed balls into a grassy field.

One of the easiest, and, arguably, most fun ways to keep Austin beautiful is to protect and promote the amazing biodiversity of plant and animal life we have in our city.  Biodiversity is just a word that describes the variety or number of different kinds of living things in a given space. Having lots of […]

Biodiversity in Central Texas

A monarch butterfly shot from above.

Biodiversity is a measure of the living things (plants, animals, bacteria, humans) within a particular region or ecosystem. The measure is also used to determine the amount of variety among living things. We can even measure the biodiversity on the scale of the planet earth!  We evaluate how biologically diverse an area is by counting […]

Clean Lady Bird Lake Leader Spotlight: Steven A.

Photo of Steven A., cover image for his Clean Lady Bird Lake Leader spotlight.

Every month we will highlight a new lake leader from our Clean Lady Bird Lake program. Lake leaders are the heart and soul of the program. They commit to leading volunteers at their sites around Lady Bird Lake 6 times a year and help to remove 2,000 pounds of trash of recyclables from in and […]

Composting with worms

Close-up of two hands holding a pile of dirt with worms in it.

Compost is decomposed organic material, made up of materials like leaves, shredded twigs, and plant-based kitchen scraps.* But it takes more than organic material to create quality compost. We need decomposers as well. While many composts rely on decomposers like fungus, bacteria, and various invertebrates, there are many different composting methods. Compositing with worms, also […]

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