Our Story

Origins

Ecology Action of Texas was founded in1970 as an all-volunteer group that sought to promote a variety of environmental issues, most notably recycling. Today our mission is to educate and empower people to create a healthier environment through wasteprevention and accessibility to recycling.

In 2000 we became a worker-run cooperative operated by a democratic decision making process. This horizontal structure has allowed for equal pay and sharing of the work loads, as well as for all of the employees voices to be heard in actively deciding what is best for Ecology Action. We believe that the way we operate our business, where our materials end up, and education are crucial to creating a sustainable and just world for all. We hope that the models we create will inspire other non-profits and businesses to re-evaluate their practices for the future.

What We Do Today

Ecology Action of Texas is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) membership organization dedicated to public education and community service.

Mission

Ecology Action’s mission is to create a healthier environment through resource recovery operations, Brownfield remediation, and zero waste initiatives.

Vision

Our vision is a world where landfills are no longer necessary.

We meet this visionary challenge by diverting recyclable, hard-to-recycle, and compostable material from area landfills, striving to create closed-loop lifecycle systems where waste is a resource.

Programs

We currently maintain a 24 hour recycling and hard-to-recycle drop-off and processing center in downtown Austin as well as a 10-acre nature preserve and environmental education park called Circle Acres in East Austin. In addition, we also provide:

• Full service business recycling and compost pick services
• Educational talks at classroom and community spaces
• Consultations and waste audits to small businesses
• Educational tours for kids and adults
• Full scale event recycling and compost services
• Customer service and education around Zero Waste initiatives
• Hands-on volunteer opportunities
• Training programs and partnerships for traditionally marginalized and differently-abled communities.
• Interfacing with policy makers about environmental issues in Central Texas
• Serving as a clearinghouse for information about recycling, compost, biodiesel and Zero Waste through the City's 311 information service.

Future

We impact communities and businesses with visions, support and programs for ecological and economically sustainable practices now and towards better futures. Landfills aren't the only thing we impact. Energy, waste, carbon footprints and how we all interact are important to our broader frameworks or education, organizing and cooperation.

Some examples around waste and energy:
By using recycled instead of virgin materials, manufacturers are able to conserve resources and reduce pollution. The waste we diverted last year made a big difference to the quality of our air, water, and land. We recycled enough aluminum to save 232,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. The glass we recycled saved an equivalent of 4,432 gallons of fuel oil. The paper we recycled saved 16,924 trees and 6.9 million gallons of water as well as 3,285 cubic yards of landfill space and 4 million kilowatt hours of electricity.