What's in the Capitol Bins?

Lawmakers aren't just talking trash this session – they're recycling it. Earlier this year, the State Preservation Board signed on with the single-stream recycling program run by the Texas Facilities Commission, which manages most state agency offices in Austin. Previously, legislators and their staff could only recycle paper; now their recycling bins also accommodate rigid plastics, metals, batteries, and e-waste. The recyclables are sorted by Austin Task, a nonprofit subsidiary of Texas Industries for the Blind and Handicapped. In total, across the entire Capitol complex, the two TFC collection staffers on this route are gathering about 8½ tons of recyclables a day. "We've seen the offices really embrace this," said Julie Fields, public information coordinator for the State Preservation Board, adding that lawmakers have ordered an extra 70 bins to keep up with demand.