Austin Reuse Day

Celebrating the merging of the Resource Recovery Center and the Household Hazardous Waste Facility, the City of Austin proclaimed the newly designated Austin Reuse Day (October 19th annually) by reopening the new combined facility with the general public. The event was kicked off with speeches by Bob Gedert, the Director of Austin Resource Recovery, and District 2 Council Member Delia Garza dedicating the new facility. Following the opening remarks artist George Sabra unveiled his sculpture the KNOT, a work of art comprised of crushed, pressed and bent oil-drum barrels. Of his work and the event George said, "I believe that there is value in the discarded and reclaimed materials. My duty as an artist is to bring to the public the value of these materials through the beauty of the art in hopes that it will help people be aware of what they throw away.” After unveiling and dedicating the sculpture, all guests proceeded to the main entry for a formal ribbon cutting ceremony and a tour of the new facility before attendees congregated again to celebrate the event with crafts, games, and interactive exhibits.

As a part of the event, the Materials lab hosted a hands-on exhibit with a sample recycled and reclaimed products from our collection to raise awareness with the general public about commercially available building materials.

The Recycle & Reuse Drop-Off Center is part of the Resource Recover Center and is located at 2514 Business Center Drive. The center provides a central location where residents can safely and responsibly recycle many hazardous materials.